Dani
by vampirediva07
Summary: Guinevere wanted someone to talk to in the palace. So, she brought her little sister, Dani. What happens when Dani and Lancelot become friends and perhaps something more? Please read and review.
1. Companion To Talk To

**A/N: Though I do not own anything from King Arthur, I do however; own Dani and some other characters to pop up later in the story.**

It had been nearly a year since Arthur's marriage to Guinevere. The country was slowly piecing itself back together under Arthur's watchful eye. Arthur loved his people, but loved his wife more. They were totally happy with one another. Now they lived in a castle near Hadrian's Wall. All the knights were invited to live in the castle with them, even Bors with all of his children. Lancelot, Tristan, Galahad, Gawain, and Bors all lived in the castle with Arthur and Guinevere. There were laughter and good times all around. Guinevere loved her home, but living around all these men was growing annoying at times. She longed to have someone to talk to. One night, she decided to approach Arthur about the subject of perhaps bringing someone for her to talk to about womanly things.

"Arthur, darling, can I talk to you about something important?" she asked as they were unfolding the bed sheets to go to sleep for the night. Arthur glanced up at his wife and replied, "Of course, you can talk to me about anything." He smiled at her and climbed into bed. She slipped under the covers next to him. "That's the thing, I can't talk to you about everything. There are some things I need another woman to talk about with. I was thinking, if you don't mind, I would like to bring someone here that I can talk with all the time." Arthur was more than happy to oblige any request Guinevere had. He loved her with all of his heart. "Sure. I don't mind if you have someone here to talk to. I know you need that with me being busy all the time. Whom did you have in mind, my love?" he asked.

"I was thinking about my little sister, Dani. She's nearing her twentieth year and has been longing to live away from the clan since she was fifteen. Would you mind if I brought my sister here to live with us?" she asked sweetly as she grinned at him. She knew he couldn't resist her smile, his one weakness that he would cave to anything if only she'd smile at him. This advantage gave her the upper hand in any argument. She thrived on it. He caressed her cheek and said, "I don't mind if you bring Dani here. If that would make you happy, I'm happy with it."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "you are so sweet. I will write to her at once and tell her that she will live here. I love you." She kissed him and sunk down to go to sleep. Having her sister at the palace would ease her life. She could hardly wait.


	2. Dani

Dani looked up at the enormous castle that lay before her. _So this is where my big sister lives. It's nice and I like it._ She rode up to the gate on her horse and suddenly heard a voice from somewhere shouting at her. "HALT! Who goes there?" asked the voice. Dani looked up to see a man staring at her from the castle wall. Today she really didn't feel like dealing with the formality of names. So, she called back, "First tell me yours and I will tell you mine." The man seemed taken back by her response. It was as if no one had ever asked him that question before. A moment later, he had recomposed himself and called down to her, "Lancelot. Lancelot is my name. What is yours, pray tell?" There were several more moments of silence. Finally, she shouted to him, "Dani. I'm Guinevere's younger sister. I've been invited here to live with her and Arthur. Can you please let the gate down now? I'd like to get in and see my sister."

She seemed harmless enough, so Lancelot let the gate down. Dani rode in and halted her horse. Lancelot climbed down from his post to greet the girl. "Is there a place where I can keep my horse?" she asked him. "Of course, allow me to show you where the stables are," he said politely. They walked towards the stables in silence. Once they reached the stables, she tethered her horse and gave it water and food. After her horse had been taken care of, Dani turned to Lancelot and said, "Thank you for showing me. I appreciate it. Now, where would my dear sister be?" Lancelot grinned at Dani and replied, "She's probably in the Dining Hall with Arthur. Follow me and I will take you there."

Again he escorted her in silence to the Dining Hall. When they reached the Hall, they heard sounds of laughter and merriment. "This is where I leave you, my lady. Just go through those doors." He bowed politely and left. Dani nodded at him in appreciation and then turned to the doors. She pushed them open. Everyone in the room stopped conversing to stare at her. There was an awkward silence before Tristan asked, "Who are you, my lady?" Guinevere stood up and ran over to her, turning towards the other knights and replied, "This is my younger sister, Dani. She is going to live here now with me. I needed someone to talk with, so Arthur permitted me to invite her here. I want each of you to be nice to her and I expect it."

Dani followed Guinevere to a seat by her. At first she felt awkward in this crowd of knights, but soon adjusted to a comfortable level of conversation. When she spoke for the first time, Galahad looked directly at her and said, "Whoa, wait a minute. You speak English? I thought you were a Woad." Dani stared at him for a moment before cracking a smile, "I'm not an idiot, I know how to speak English. Woadish is the language of my people, but I also learned English from Guinevere when I was young. You cannot judge people by their outward appearances, or their nationality. Many cultures teach their children how to speak many different languages. Mine is one of them."

The group continued on with their dinner and conversations until they were either too drunk to talk or too full to move. Bors and Venora excused themselves from the table and set out to put their many children to bed. Soon to be followed by Tristan, Galahad, and Gawain going off to their own chambers. Arthur excused himself as well, leaving only Dani and Guinevere. Guinevere was so excited to finally have her sister to talk to. She had not seen her in almost two years. They left the Dining Hall to go to a more comfortable room to talk in.

They found a small sitting room with several plush chairs by a fireplace. The perfect spot for two sisters to catch up on their lives. Dani and Guinevere were especially close because their mother died in childbirth with Dani, so Guinevere practically raised her. Dani didn't know what she would have done without Guinevere there to keep her out of trouble and teach her about life.

"So, little sister, what is new?" Guinevere asked. "Well, until you sent the letter requesting I come here, father was thinking it was time for me to marry. He would say to me daily, 'Dani, why haven't you married someone like your sister has?' or he'd badger me with some other news of you marriage. It was growing quite tiresome," Dani replied, rolling her eyes at her father's comments. Guinevere laughed and said, "He's like that, you know. When I turned eighteen, he would say, 'You'd better marry soon, Guinevere, before you're too old.' It was like he was saying I had an expiration date or something." Dani and Guinevere giggled at the thought of their father's antics.

Dani and Guinevere continued talking well into the night. When they realized how late it was, Guinevere said, "Well I had better get going. Arthur will wonder where I am. I'd better get back to him. Good night Dani." As she got up to leave, Dani grabbed her hand. She said, "Wait, I have one more question." Guinevere turned to her and replied, "Yes." Dani asked, "Why was that knight Lancelot on the wall and not in the Dining Hall with the rest of you? Is he an outcast?"

"Well, Lancelot doesn't feel as if he belongs. Since the war with the Saxons he's been that way. He stays up on the wall most of the time. His room is up there. Don't bother him too much." Guinevere said, "Good night Dani, sleep well. Your room is right through that door."

"Good night Guinevere and thank you for letting me stay here." Dani replied. Guinevere closed the door and Dani walked through the other door to her room. _I wonder, _Dani thought, _does Lancelot just need a friend? Maybe something more than a friend? Who knows? I guess I will find out tomorrow when I'm fully rested._

**A/N: There's chapter two. Like it, let me know. If not, let me know too. Suggestions welcome as well. Thanks!**


	3. Sisterly Advice

**A/N: WOW! Thank you guys for all the reviews. I really appreciate them so much. I will update as much as possible, but the last week of school is this next week, so be patient with me and I will post way more in the summer!**

Dani woke up to the sun in her face through the window. She attempted to roll over, but every way she turned the sun was still in her face. So, she gave up and sat up on the bed, threw the bed sheets off and got up.

"Memo to me, put a sheet over the window before I go to sleep at night!" she exclaimed to herself. "Well, I'm up already, so might as well get dressed."

As she wandered her room, she found a wardrobe and opened it. Inside were beautiful dresses of all different shapes, colors, and materials. Her eyes lit up like two light bulbs on a Christmas tree. She had never seen such wonderful dresses. Usually she wore her war attire, which was a soft leather top and pants and her bow and arrow attached to her back. Now she had a choice to what she wanted to wear. She fumbled through the dresses until she found one that caught her eye. It was navy blue with silver thread trim. As she took it out of the wardrobe, she spun around with the dress. She laid the dress on her bed and began to change. Nothing was as magnificent as this dress back home. The material was like silk to her skin as she put the dress on. She ran back over to the wardrobe to find shoes to match. On the floor of the wardrobe she found a pair of gold sandals with blue gems on the straps.

"Those are absolutely perfect!" she said as she picked them up, "I cannot believe all of this. My sister really knows how to out do herself. Now, what to do with my hair." She whirled in front of a mirror and found a soft brush and began to brush out her dark curls. On the table in front of the mirror was a gold clasp to pin her hair back. She decided to put it in her hair to keep it out of her face.

"Done," she said satisfied with her look. _Now, let's find out where Lancelot hides himself. I've got to know why he keeps himself from others. Maybe he lost someone he loved or he just hates people in general, I don't know. I will find out soon, _she thought as she opened her door and set off to explore.

The corridors around her room were so confusing to Dani that she had to stop someone and ask for directions almost every time she turned a corner. After nearly an hour or so, Dani found her way outside. She walked around until she found the stables where she went to see her horse.

"Hey girl," she said walking up and petting the horse, "how are you liking it here? Are they treating you right in here?"

She continued to stroke the horse's side until she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Her whole body tensed up as she froze for a moment. After a moment of uncertainty, she whipped around and punched the person who grabbed her. It was Lancelot.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, are you alright?"

Instead of responding to her apology, Lancelot simply got up and walked out of the stables. Dani cocked her head to one side, confused, and thought to herself, _Is he so rude to not accept my apology? I didn't mean to hurt him; I thought he was going to hurt me._

Dani felt awful about hitting Lancelot, but then again she apologized to him for it. Now, she was just plain pissed at him for not accepting her apology when she was polite about it. Moments after Lancelot left the stables, Dani stormed out of the stables in search of her sister to tell her what had happened.

_I have never seen someone more rude and presumptuous in all of my life. What does Guinevere and Arthur see in him as a friend anyway? If I were them, I wouldn't want a friend who wouldn't accept an apology for an accident. Where is my sister?_ Dani thought.

After yet another confusing hour of corridors, Dani finally found Guinevere in a small library not too far from her room. She was quietly sitting, reading a book by the window. Dani approached Guinevere slowly, not wanting to disturb her right away with her problems. She sat there patiently until Guinevere was done reading.

"Dani, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" she asked sincerely and waited for a reply.

"Guinevere, I needed someone to talk to and you're the only person I really know here. I have a small problem that maybe you could advise me on, since you are my older sister and have had a lot more experience than me."

Guinevere was happy to help her little sister whenever she could. It was always something she enjoyed doing. Since she was married to Arthur now, she rarely got that chance. Now that she had it, she was going to take it.

"Of course I will help you. What are sisters for? Tell me your problem and let's see if we can solve it," she said.

"Alright, I will," Dani began, "This morning, after waking up and getting dressed, I went to the stables to see my horse. I was petting her when I felt a hand on my shoulder. The hand startled me, so I turned around and punched the person who touched me. That person turned out to be Lancelot. I tried to apologize, but he just got up and left without saying a word to me. I didn't mean to hurt him, honest. It was an accident. Now he is being a pompous jerk about it, not talking to me at all. Can you please help me?"

Guinevere looked at Dani and noticed her eyes were full of guilt and worry. She knew that Dani really did feel awful about hitting Lancelot. It wasn't the first time Dani had hit someone, but it was the first time she had actually felt guilty about it. This was a definite change in Dani.

_Perhaps, _Guinevere thought, _she is growing up faster than I thought. It seems like just yesterday Mother had died and she was a tiny baby in my arms. Now she is twenty years old._

"Well," Guinevere replied, "we'll see what we can do. For now, just avoid Lancelot. You don't want him anymore upset than he already is."

Dani was glad that Guinevere decided to help her. It had always been that way for as long as she could remember, getting into trouble and Guinevere getting her out of it. Now it seemed almost ritualistic. They had done it since childhood. Guinevere was practically her mother anyway. She had always enjoyed her advice and heeded it as well.

"Do you like being married?" Dani asked, changing the subject to something other than Lancelot. "I mean, do you love Arthur and like being married to him?"

Guinevere was taken back by her sister's question. It had never been asked by someone other than Arthur whether or not she loved him.

"Of course I love him, why do you think I married him?" Guinevere replied.

"Well, I was just curious. I don't know if I want to marry or not. Since I was a child, I've always had the freedom to choose what I wanted for my own destiny. Merlin guided me along the way, unbeknownst to father. Merlin even said that I could be a great Woad warrior one day and perhaps lead them. He also said that you were a great leader too when you lead our people against the Saxons. I want my chance for glory too, not the life of a docile wife," Dani said.

"Dani, you don't understand, I fought because I had to. The Saxons were going to kill everyone in Britain if we didn't do something about it. I fought for freedom, not glory. Now, I'm content to be a wife. I didn't stop completely, I still train to keep myself agile, but I refuse to fight unless threatened. You shouldn't go out looking for trouble, there is enough that will come at you in you lifetime. Promise me that you won't go out looking for it. Promise me," Guinevere said sternly as she stared at Dani.

Dani sighed heavily and said, "Alright, I promise not to."

"Good. Thank you." Guinevere replied, "Now, let's go down and see if there is still any food left after all the knights have eaten."

They smiled at one another as they left the room and went down to the Dining Hall to find some food.


	4. The Contest and it's Consequences

Both sisters walked into the Dining Hall. Apparently, they were the last to arrive because all the other knights were already eating. Guinevere took her place at Arthur's side and Dani sat next to Tristan and Gawain. Dani was starving, she hadn't eaten yet and the food invigorated her senses. The tantalizing smells of hot rolls, roasted lamb, steamed vegetables, and assorted pastries danced in her nose. Wasting no time, Dani grabbed a plate and began to put food on it.

"You might want to slow down a bit." Tristan said, chuckling at the fact that a girl so small as Dani would get so much food on her plate and actually be eating all of it.

"I'm starving," Dani replied, "I have not eaten since yesterday and I was out all morning in the stables with my horse making sure she was taken care of."

"Well that is what stable hands are for, my lady." Gawain said.

"I was personally taking care of my horse, she means a lot to me. My father gave her to me as a gift for my eighteenth birthday. I'm sure Tristan understands the value of an animal as a companion, wouldn't you Tristan? I mean, your falcon is your best friend, is it not?" Dani asked, turning her attention towards Tristan, still nibbling on a soft roll with butter on the inside.

"Yes, I do understand. My falcon had been loyal to me for near ten years before I set her free. Since then, she has returned to me, refusing to leave. Animals are among the most loyal of creatures, sometimes more than humans." Tristan said smiling.

Conversing continued between the knights and Dani for quite some time. She grew to like their company and found them interesting. Most of all she enjoyed Tristan, because he shared her love for animals. Somehow, Dani knew she would always be welcome here by everyone. Everyone that is, except Lancelot. Even now, after she had several hours to cool off, she still thought he was a pompous, egotistical jerk who wouldn't even accept a sincere apology. That didn't matter at the moment because she was enjoying herself. The knights were enraptured with stories from her life as a Woad.

"Tell us," Bors said, "did they really begin your training as a child? I've heard stories of the Woads training children from the age of practically infancy to be warriors. Are they true?"

Dani grinned and laughed as she replied, "Well, I began my training at the age of seven. I was early though because I had a natural talent. I picked up my first bow at the age of three and shot it dead center of a bull's eye. If they had their way, the elders would have began my training right then and there. My father forced them to wait until I turned seven. Most children don't begin training until they're nearly thirteen."

By the time Dani was done talking, all the knights were literally speechless and in awe. None could believe their ears. They had been training since they were children after they were taken from their families in Sarmatia sixteen years ago. Now this girl, barely twenty years old was claiming to be better than any of them. They had to see this amazing site of talent that she proclaimed.

"Prove it," said Galahad, standing up from the table, "show us your great talent my lady and we shall believe you."

"Name the time and place and I shall defeat you," Dani said, confident of her abilities. She too stood up from the table.

No, my lady," Galahad replied, "you shall be facing the greatest archer of us all, Tristan. If you can defeat him, then you can defeat any of us."

"Alright," Dani scoffed cockily, "I'll challenge Tristan. However, to make this little contest a bit more interesting, how about we shoot arrows riding horseback, bareback? Hmm. What do you say Tristan, you up for a little challenge?"

Tristan looked back over at Dani, smiled, and said, "Sure, you use your horse and I'll use mine. When shall we challenge?"

"Today, this afternoon. Everyone who wishes to watch should gather by the stables in one hour and then we will move the contest out into the fields. Tristan and I need to get some practice time out on the field to get a feel for it so that it can be a fair contest." Dani said.

Dani left the Dining Hall to go back to the stables to her horse to prepare for her challenge with Tristan. This time, however, she didn't get lost in the halls and corridors. She arrived in the stables in a matter of minutes instead of an hour. In her head, she was making a mental map of the castle and grounds. Never again would she get lost like she did that morning. When she arrived at the stables, she brushed and watered her horse. She patted the horse's side.

"Guess what Lily," she said to the horse, "today we have a contest to do. This time I you don't have to wear a saddle. I know how much you hate that. You'll do fine, I know you will. You've been my loyal companion for two years and never failed me. Good girl. Good girl."

She stroked Lily's mane and snout. Lily nudged at her hand. Knowing automatically what she wanted, Dani pulled out an apple from her side pouch that she had snuck from lunch and fed it to Lily. After Lily had devoured the apple, Dani mounted her back and began to trot out of the stables into the courtyard. They went in a few circles in the courtyard before moving out into the field. Once they were in the field, Lily burst into full gallop, happy not to be confined to the stables and free to run. Dani had her bow and arrows at hand, so she fired a few practice shots at nearby targets, hitting each one in the bull's eye. When she was satisfied with practicing, she stopped to let Lily rest for a few minutes before the contest. She surveyed her surroundings and saw Tristan in the other field practicing his shots as well.

_Perhaps, this is not going to be as simple as I thought it was going to be... NO! Dani, get a hold of yourself, you are a great warrior and your arrows never miss. You can beat him and win. You can, you can. Do not let yourself get sidetracked by your thoughts of Lancelot either. He is a pig-headed buffoon. Focus on your goal. Focus on the win. Nothing can take that away from you. Nothing,_ said her mind.

The time had come for the contest and Dani mounted Lily. All of the others were gathering at the stables as instructed to do so. Dani and Tristan rode up to them. Both dismounted their horses to shake hands in sportsmanship.

"Good luck to you," she said.

"And to you my lady," he replied.

The crowd followed them to the field where the targets had been set up. Each person would get three chances to hit the bull's eye while riding. Who ever hit the most times dead center would win. Tristan was up first. He started his horse at a gallop, and then fired his first shot. Dead center. The crowd clapped and cheered him on. He turned and began to gallop again. He fired his second shot and hit dead center again. Once more, he turned his horse around and started galloping again. The bow was pulled back and he snapped another arrow off. It whirred through the air and hit the target again. Only this time, it hit left of dead center. The crowd murmured at the sight. Tristan had never missed before. Perhaps it was a mistake, but nevertheless it was now Dani's turn to try and win.

Dani started her horse at a gallop also, pulling her bow from her back and loading an arrow on it. She pulled the bow back and fired her first shot, dead center. The crowd clapped. Dani pulled Lily around and began again. She pulled another arrow and fired, dead center. Both were now two for two. Her final shot would determine the winner. Slowly, she pulled Lily to a halt and began to trot and then gallop. Another arrow came flying from her bow and hit dead center. The crowd went wild. Dani had won! She trotted back to the crowd of knights, Arthur, and Guinevere, dismounted her horse, and walked over to them. They greeted her with cheers and congratulations. Tristan came up and bowed before Dani.

"You truly are a great warrior my lady, I underestimated you. My apologies," Tristan stated as he shook her hand.

"Thank you Tristan, you were wonderful yourself. I have a great respect for you. I would also like to learn from you as well. There are many things I have yet to learn that you could teach me. It would be a great honor to be taught by you," she replied.

"I would certainly teach you. It would please me for you to learn things that I was taught by my father before me." Tristan said.

Dani was happy that she won. Not only did it earn her respect, but a new teacher and friend in Tristan. After thanking her congratulatory crowd for their honors they bestowed upon her, she began to take Lily back to the stables. Although, she was unaware of a man who had been watching her the entire competition. Now that man stared at her from the wall above the stables. She couldn't know it now, but she was changing the rhythm of his heart to a fast past beating of want and desire. He placed his hand over his chest in an attempt to quiet his beating heart for fear that she might hear it, but it was no use. The heart beat louder and louder in the vibrating of his eardrum. He was in love.


	5. Pride and Stubborness

**A/N: So you guys really like this story? I love writing it for you. This chapter is dedicated to Troyfan16. Thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews! (In response to the whole Christmas lights thing wild-vixen, it was the first analogy that popped into my head. Lol)**

Lancelot's heart beat so loudly that he could hardly think. Dani was so beautiful to him. Her soft curls now fell around her shoulders and drove him absolutely insane. She didn't notice him standing on the wall, watching her the whole time. Lancelot did feel terrible about the way he had treated her that morning after she accidentally hit him. Technically it was his fault for frightening her. Though, he didn't want to admit it to her because of his foolish pride. That pride got him into a lot of trouble when he was younger. He would throw fits of anger just to get his way. Looking back on it now, he realized how selfish and ridiculous he was. However, that temper and pride was flaring up again. There was no doubt in his mind that he was falling for Dani, but the question on his mind was whether or not she was falling for him.

_I cannot bear it. She's only been here nearly two days and I'm already falling over myself like a great oaf. How could I tell her how much I like her? She already thinks I'm a pompous jerk from this morning. Just once I would like to make a good first impression, just once. Is that too much to ask? I wish she would speak to me again. The sound of her voice is music to my ears so long deprived of that sweet melody, _Lancelot thought to himself.

His mind was whirling in a thousand different directions, all-plotting for some way to talk to Dani. There were a million things he wanted to say to her. How her beautiful eyes of sea blue were mesmerizing to him, how he longed for the scent of roses that came from her hair, how his heart beat rapidly when he thought of her, and how her voice was music to him. He also wanted to apologize for his behavior in the stables earlier. It was rude and presumptuous of him not to accept her apology for a tiny accident that was clearly his fault anyways. In every way possible, Lancelot was in love with Dani.

Dani left her horse in the care of the stable hands and began to leave for her room. As she left, she saw a shadow on the wall in the shape of a man. When she stood and stared at it for a moment, the shadow man realized she was watching and ran off. She didn't know who he was, but apparently he was watching her. As he ran off, she started to run after him.

"Wait," she called out, "please wait! I don't want to hurt you, I just want to talk with you."

The shadow man kept running until he was out of her sight. She had lost him. The sting of defeat hung heavy on her heart. He had beaten her by getting away. Dani stopped running and turned around and walked back into the castle. Her thoughts were devoured into the shadow man.

_Who is he? Why was he watching me? Maybe it is someone I know playing a joke on me. If they are one of my friends, why were they so afraid to come out of the shadows? There are a million people it could be and only one that I wish it would be. No, Dani get a hold of yourself. It could never be him. He would never love a girl like you. One, you're Woadish, two, your sister is married to Arthur, and three, he is too stubborn and proud to love someone like you. Yet, my heart still aches for him and my sensations go numb when I think of him. It isn't fair that I should be doomed to a life of heartache and misery. I want to love and be loved in return._

Dani finally got back to her room to clean up for dinner. She splashed cold water on her face and hands, found a new dress to wear, and brushed out her hair, placing a single rose from the bush outside her window in her hair. Roses were her favorite flower. Almost everyday she would stick one in her hair when she was younger. Guinevere used to make fun of her and say that she would eternally smell of roses. Dani didn't care though. The flower accentuated her natural beauty and brought out the blue even more in her eyes. With the flower in her hair, her eyes almost sparkled.

When she was pleased with her look, she left her room and headed to the Dining Hall for dinner. Apparently, she was early for a change because the room had very few people in it. Galahad and Gawain were already there and so was Tristan, but the others had not arrived yet. Dani loved being early because she loved to watch the others come in the room. Bors, Venora, and their eleven children came in next. They took their places around the table. All the children were very well behaved at the table, amazingly. Arthur and Guinevere came in last. Once everyone was seated, they began to feast. The room smelled of succulent meats, pastries, and other foods. Everyone was hungry after the day's events, especially Tristan and Dani. Half way through eating, the door to the Dining Hall opened. Everyone looked up and to their surprise, Lancelot came in.

"Might I join the festivities?" he asked, half smiling. "I heard the noise coming from this way, so I figured I might be able to join."

"Of course, of course," chimed Arthur, "you are most welcome at this table any time Lancelot. You should know that. We've been friends for a long time and I could never turn a friend away."

Guinevere leaned over to Dani and said, "He hasn't eaten at this table in almost a year! I wonder what's changed in him? He hardly ever speaks either, no more than two or three words at a time."

Dani shrugged. She had no idea what was going on inside that head of his. They cleared a spot for him at the table, consequently right next to Dani. Her spine shuddered as he neared the chair to sit next to her. In her heart, this was a dream, but in her mind, she was repulsed by him sitting next to her. Right then and there she made up her mind to do the best she could not to talk to him. The feast continued like normal with chatter about weapons, wine, and women among the men. Among the women they talked of peace, children, and men. Almost everyone was content. Everyone that is, except for Lancelot.

He longed to just turn to Dani and tell her how he felt. Inwardly he cursed himself for being a coward. Outwardly he looked calm, cool, and collected. He talked briefly with Tristan about bow strength and argued with Galahad about how two swords were always better than one. Their argument seemed childish, but it was well fought verbally by both men. In the end, Lancelot's argument won out. A small victory for him, but the greatest victory would be talking with Dani. That, he realized, would be a greater challenge than a mere argument with Galahad. For a moment he glanced at Dani. She wasn't looking back, so he knew it was safe for him to look at her beauty. The rose she had wound in her hair was intoxicating to his senses. He also noticed that it also brought out her natural beauty and her eyes. Earlier she had seen him on the wall in the shadows, watching her. Oh how he longed to tell her that it was himself.

_Does she feel anything for me? She hasn't spoken to me all night long. Maybe she is still angry for the stable incident earlier. I am such a fool. I should swallow my pride and just tell her. I want to run like the coward I am. How can I be so weak and still be a fearless knight? For fifteen years I have fought and killed men more than twice my size. Now look at me, brought to my knees by a mere woman. How could this have happened?_ Lancelot thought to himself. 

Dani noticed Lancelot kept to himself nearly all night long. He only talked to Galahad and Tristan briefly. Now he just quietly ate and looked around the room. In truth, Dani heart was lifted the moment he walked through the door and asked to join them for dinner. She wished to tell him that she did feel something for him. Though, she was too stubborn and proud to admit it to anyone other than her own heart. These feelings she muffled in her heart as she continued to eat and talk with Guinevere.

Once the evening had ended and everyone was off to their rooms, Dani wandered aimlessly in the halls on her way back to her own room. There was literally no one to talk to. All the knights, with the exception of Bors, had gone out to drink. Arthur and Guinevere were "busy." Bors and Venora set out to put all their children to bed. So, Dani was left to entertain herself. She decided to go down to the library by her room and sit to think. In the library she found a cushy chair to sit in by the fire. For a while she stared at the fire, thinking about her friends back home, about her family, and most of all about Lancelot. In a matter of minutes, she was lost in her thoughts. They swan in her head like a fish in the ocean.

The fire crackled and Dani continued to stare into it. The dancing flames mesmerized her. She imagined herself dancing in Lancelot's arms, safe and warm. Never had she felt like this before, so weak and defenseless in anything. At the same time, she both hated and loved the feeling. The thought of him sweeping her off her feet into his arms made her heart race and pulse speed up. It was both hell and bliss at the same time. Nothing else compared with the feeling she felt right then and there. She pulled the rose out of her hair and stared at it. The flower petals fell in her hand. It was fragile and beautiful, the way she felt at that moment.

A knock at the door snapped Dani out of her trance like state. She got up out of the chair to answer the door. Yet another swift knock came right as she got to the door. The handle was cold metal to her hand as she grabbed it to open the door. As the door swung open, it revealed Lancelot standing behind it. Dani gasped and froze. There was an awkward moment of silence before Lancelot lurched forward and pursed his lips against hers. He pushed her inside the door with his lips and shut the door.


	6. The Perfect Romance

Dani's lips tingled at the sensation of Lancelot's kiss. It was pure heaven to her. She lost herself in time and space in the time of his kiss. She almost fainted from shock. Never did she expect him to outright kiss her like that.

_NO! Wait, what am I doing? He was rude to me this morning. Why am I kissing him now? This is not like me. I wouldn't just give in like this to him. He hasn't even spoken two words to me since I came here. Yet, his kiss is so sweet. There is nothing I'd like to do right now than kiss him. I have to stop though. Stop!_

Dani pushed him away. Then she slapped his face. He looked at her, confused at why she slapped him. Her face was stern and angry, yet her eyes soft and gentle. These mixed messages were not only frustrating, but also hard to read what she wanted. He had to know how she felt. It was killing him inside.

"Dani, why did you hit me just now? Was that for earlier today when I didn't accept your apology after you knocked me down? I'm sorry for that. I was confused and you startled me when you hit me this morning. I didn't mean to startle you in the stables, I just wanted to know what you were doing," he said.

She stared into his eyes. They were full of anticipation of her answer and something else she couldn't quite figure out. Instantly her face softened and she smiled at him for the first time.

"I'm sorry I hit you. You just surprised me is all. I wasn't expecting you to kiss me. I thought you hated me. After I knocked you down this morning in the stables, I apologized and you didn't respond. I was angry with you for that. Since the moment I arrived here, however, I felt something for you. You were handsome and very dashing up there on that wall asking me who I was," she replied.

Lancelot smiled at her. His hand grazed the side of her face and she pulled herself close to him. Dani laid her head on his chest. He smelled her hair, which still had the sweet aroma of roses from the rose that was in her hair earlier. The firelight glowed around them. Lancelot tilted her chin away from his chest and kissed her. She felt the same intensity of the kiss as in the first one he gave her. This kiss was more passionate and intense than the first because Dani was expecting this one and could properly kiss back. Her heart raced then slowed down. It was as if he controlled her heartbeat with every move he made.

Sometime after that kiss and several kisses later, they began to talk. It was a deep conversation about life and what it meant to them. He was opening up to her more than he had ever with another person in his entire life. Dani noticed a tiger necklace around Lancelot's neck. It looked to be about fifteen to twenty years old.

"What is that?" she asked, kissing his neck right where the necklace was.

"This?" he asked, picking the necklace up. "This was something my little sister gave me the day I left Sarmatia to become a knight. My father made it when she was born. Kylea, my sister, thought it would keep me safe and bring me the strength of the tiger it bore on it."

"Oh," Dani replied, "have you seen your family since you left Sarmatia?"

"No, I haven't. It's been nearly seventeen years since I last saw them. My sister is probably grown, married, and has children by now. Since we were freed from the Romans, I've longed to go home to see them, but I've never found the time to. Plus, how could they accept me now that I've killed so many?" he asked.

Dani gazed at him compassionately. Though she had no idea what he was going through, she felt that she should say something to comfort him and perhaps get him to go see his family.

"Lancelot, they're you're family. They will love you no matter what. Families have a way of forgiving when no one else will. Believe me, I've done enough in my lifetime to make my sister want to kill me, but she never does. We're too strongly bonded for her to stay mad at me for long. I bet if you go home your family will be overjoyed to see you. You've grown from the small boy you were when you left into a man of stature and pride. They will be proud of you," she said, placing her hand on his.

Lancelot wrapped his hand lovingly around her waist and she laid her head back on his shoulders. This was bliss for her. Her sister's plan had worked. Not talking to Lancelot had brought him to her. Fortunately, it worked faster than she had expected. He was quick to catch on to things, unlike some men whom Dani had known in her lifetime. This was exactly the kind of man she had wanted to marry all along. Sensitive, yet strong at the same time. She sighed in happiness as he held her tight. If she could, she would have stayed in his arms all night long. However, it would look suspicious if they both came out the next morning together. As far as everyone else knew, they still hated one another. Dani thought about that for a moment and began to laugh.

"What's funny?" Lancelot asked.

"It's just a few hours ago, we were disgusted by the thought of one another. Now look at us. I mean deep down I truly didn't hate you, but on the surface I wanted to so badly. Sometimes it's funny how life turns out," she replied, turning around to face him. She looked deeply into his chocolate brown eyes.

"I did as well. Outwardly I treated you unfairly because I was petrified by my own feelings. I guess that shows how much of a coward I am. Not even man enough to tell a woman that I care for her," he said, obviously disgusted with himself for his behavior towards Dani.

She rose up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. Right now she was the most precious thing to him in the whole world and nothing could change that.

"I love you," he said, "I've loved you from the moment you looked into my eyes and I will love you forever."

"And I love you," she said, "more than you'll ever know."

They embraced and kissed again once more. He pulled her close and she let him. Their hearts beat as one in that tiny moment of time. If they had died right then, both would have gone happy. Albeit, the time had come for them to bid one another good night. Neither wanted to, but both knew that they had to. They also realized that they had to keep their relationship secret, at least for a while in order to neutralize the teasing they would get from the other knights, Arthur, and Guinevere. If they had found out right away, it would be the "I told you so" bit on and on until the end of time. First they had to neutralize their arguments before announcing their relationship. However, sneaking around would be fun. They would feel like secret lovers, meeting only at night or whenever they could steal a moment from the group. Though their meetings would be brief, they would be filled with joy and kisses. It would be perfect in building their relationship strength.

"Good night, my lady," Lancelot said, kissing her hand.

"Good night, my love," replied Dani, kissing his lips instead of his hand.

Their good night kiss lasted a bit longer than most, but neither minded. When they were through, Lancelot left first, checking to make sure that no one was in the halls. Once he had left, Dani set out for her room next to the library. She got in the door and ran to her bed where she fell down facing the ceiling. This had been by far the most perfect evening in her entire life. She was sure that many more perfect evenings were to come in the future, but she was content to relive the memory of that night over and over in her mind. She longed for his kiss again. That sensation still lingered on her lips while his warm embrace still lingered on her skin. Everything from his kiss to his deep eyes intoxicated her memory as she drifted into a peaceful sleep. It was the beginning to the perfect romance.

**A/N: So, do you like or dislike. Let me know. Are things going a bit fast for Dani and Lancelot? Well, another chapter down. I hope you enjoy.**


	7. The Truth Can Hurt

Dani had lived in the palace for nearly a year. In that time, she and Lancelot's relationship grew. Each day he surprised her with something new. With each new day also came the worry that their love would be discovered. Their secret meetings were brief, sometimes as short as a few moments alone in a hall. Dani never regretted this arrangement, but only wished they could be together alone and no one would care. If things went according to plan, that wish could very well come true.

Lancelot now graced his presence at every meal at the table with the others. Everyone noticed a change in him. No longer was he an outcast to the group, but part of it and often the center of discussions. While at the table, he and Dani would steal glances at one another. It was almost like a game of cat and mouse. The cats were the knights and people around them and they were the innocent mice, hoping never to get caught. Dani loved the rush from sneaking around with Lancelot.

This night was special however, because it was her twenty-first birthday. Lancelot had planned something special for them after the usual festivities thrown by the other knights and Guinevere. Dani was getting ready in her room when Guinevere entered. She walked over to her sister, grabbed a brush off the table, and began to brush Dani's array of curls into a neat bunch at the base of her neck.

"I cannot believe that you are twenty-one now. It really seems like yesterday I was holding your hand while you were learning to walk. Now you're all grown up and more beautiful than I could've ever imagined. Mother would love to see you now. You know, she's watching over you always," said Guinevere.

"I know. When I was little I used to imagine talking to Mother and what she looked like. Guinevere, do I look a lot like her? Father says I resemble her almost exactly with my hair, eyes, and features," Dani said, turning around to face Guinevere. Her eyes were questioning.

"You do look almost exactly like her. She had curls just like yours and you have her eyes and nose. You would have loved her. Before you were even born, she knew you were going to be a girl. She loved you so much. Daily she would tell me, 'Guinevere, you're gong to have a little sister to look after soon.' I know she would have given anything just to hold you once before she died. I was going to wait to give this to you until later, but this is the perfect moment. This was Mother's."

Guinevere pulled out a necklace. It was a beautiful cross with emeralds along the outline and a rose wrapped around it. She pulled it around Dani's neck. Dani gasped. She had never seen something so beautiful in her entire life.

"Oh, Guinevere," she said, "it's gorgeous! Now I know where my love of roses comes from. Mother loved them too. Thank you for giving this to me. It means more to me than you'll ever know."

The two sisters smiled at one another, each understanding that they were all that each other had now. Fate deemed that they should lose their mother, but they would have a sister to rely on. They embraced with little tears in their eyes. Tonight was a special night.

The Dining Hall was decorated for the occasion. A feast was spread across the table of succulent meats, pastries, and rolls. All of Dani's favorite foods were spread into the mix. Everyone gathered around the table and sat down. Dani sat by Guinevere and Lancelot, like always. The atmosphere was festive and bright. All the knights and others were buzzing with chatter. Dani pulled at her necklace and glanced over at Lancelot who was smiling at her. She knew he had planned something for later and couldn't wait. Arthur suddenly stood up.

"Let us propose a toast to Dani, on this the day of her twenty-first birthday. May you have many more birthdays and be happy in your future. To Dani!"

Dani blushed. She had never gotten this much attention in her entire life from a group of people. While she liked the attention, she would much rather be alone with Lancelot at the moment. The dinner progressed and eventually everyone went to bed. It was finally time for her time alone with Lancelot. She hurried back to the library by her room. When she got there, Lancelot was already waiting.

* * *

Lancelot's mind was buzzing. There was something he had to tell Dani and it was important. He didn't want to tell her, but he loved her too much not to. She had to know the truth.

_I just have to tell her. She loves me far too much and I don't want to lie to her anymore. I love her so much. Why does this have to be so difficult? This is going to be the hardest test of our love. If we survive this, then I know we are strong enough to be put through anything and our relationship can at last be public when I propose to her. Please let her not be mad at me. Please, please, please._

* * *

Dani jumped into his arms and kissed him. She loved his kisses. They were filled with so much passion and love towards her. He ended the kiss first. It was unusual for him to end it first. Usually she was the one pulling away because he wanted to go further. Dani wondered if something was wrong. This was so unlike him. He hadn't spoken to her either since she got there. It almost looked as if he was in deep thought.

"Is something the matter?" she asked, pulling his hand in hers. He tightened his grip on her hand.

"Dani, we have to talk about something important," he said.

"Sure. We can talk if you want to. What's wrong?" she asked again.

"It's just that I love you so much and don't want to hurt you. That is why I thought it necessary to tell you the truth," he began.

"Tell me the truth about what?" she inquired.

"The truth to why I isolated myself for so long before you came here. It has to do with your sister," he said.

"My sister?" she looked puzzled.

"Yes. Two years ago, when we fought the Saxons, I was in love with your sister. It was unrequited on her part, yet I still pursued her. Once, I got her to kiss me. I'm so sorry that I wasn't honest about that to begin with," he said.

"You kissed my sister!" she exclaimed, backing away from him in disbelief. He had never lied to her about anything, but this was going over the line. "Why didn't you tell me about it to begin with instead of keeping it a secret from me."

"Please try to understand darling. I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me. I love you so much and can't live without you," he said.

Tears were streaming down Dani's face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The love of her life lied to her. How could she trust him ever again? Her faith had been shaken in him and she had to get out to clear her head. He asked her to forgive him, she just couldn't right now.

"NO!" she screamed as she ran out of the library and into her room and locked the door.


	8. Everything Falls Apart

Dani fell onto her bed, sobbing into a pillow. Her life had just been shattered into pieces. The man she loved had lied to her for nearly a year. He hadn't been honest with her. If he had just been honest to begin with, she could've easily looked over the fact that he kissed her sister. Before tonight, he had never lied to her about anything. Now that she realized that he did lie, could all the other things he told her be a lie too? Maybe he didn't really love her at all. This wasn't fair to her. She had told him everything about herself, every little secret. Now, he was keeping secrets from her. Tears stained the pillow as she cried. She heard Lancelot knocking on the door.

"Go away! I don't want to speak with you right now," she yelled. Her fury was building along with her pain.

"Dani, it's Guinevere. What's wrong? Are you alright?" asked the voice through the door.

Dani got up and ran to the door. She opened it and let Guinevere in. Once she was in the room, Dani collapsed into sobs while her sister held her. Guinevere knew something was definitely wrong with her, Dani never cried like this before. Even as a child, when she would fall and get hurt, she would get up and brush it off like it was nothing. After a few moments, Dani's sobbing subsided to a whimper. Guinevere let go and brushed her hair out of Dani's face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying so much and her cheeks were tear stained.

"Tell me what's wrong Dani. You know you can trust me. Don't tell me that nothing is wrong either because you were crying," said Guinevere compassionately.

"Guinevere," Dani replied, "it's so hard to explain everything. I don't even know where to begin."

"Just start from the beginning, I will listen," said Guinevere.

"Alright," began Dani, "when I first came here a year ago, Lancelot and I developed a secret relationship. We've been keeping it secret to allow ourselves time to get to know one another and develop our relationship before anyone else knew. I fell in love with him. Tonight, after my birthday dinner, I went to the library next door to my room to meet Lancelot. When I got there, he was waiting for me. Somehow he seemed different to me. He broke off our kiss first, which he never usually did and told me that we needed to talk. Then he proceeded to tell me that the reason he was so distant from the group for the year after the war with the Saxons was he was in love with you. He also told me that he kissed you once before you married Arthur. Is that true?"

"Once, but it meant nothing to me. Dani, you love him?" asked Guinevere.

"I did, or I thought I did. Apparently I am just a way to get close to you again. How could I be so blind? I thought he loved me too. I guess I was wrong about everything including that. I feel so ignorant for believing his lies. Well, it's over now and I'm never speaking to him as long as I live," declared Dani as she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed in anger and frustration.

"Dani, I'm so sorry that you're hurting. I never meant for something like this to happen when I brought you here to live with me. Please don't leave here though because you are my sister and blood is thicker than any friendship. If you would like, I will have him leave because Arthur will listen to me," Guinevere offered.

"No, he doesn't have to leave. I will simply avoid him. He will probably retreat back to his solitary life on the wall. Thank you so much Guinevere for listening to me and trying to help," said Dani.

"If you are alright, I will let you go to sleep for the night. If you should need me during the night, do not hesitate to come get me. Good night," said Guinevere.

"Good night," Dani replied, hugging her sister and shutting the door gently.

Dani sighed and walked over to her bed. She brushed her hair out and put on the nightclothes laid out for her. When she was ready to sleep, she pulled the sheets back and slipped into the bed. For a while she stared at the ceiling with insomnia. Her thoughts kept her from falling asleep. She rolled over onto her stomach and traced the pattern on the pillows. After a while, she grew bored with that and turned on to her side and looked out the window. The moon was high in the sky and it was full. Her heart was full and heavy as she cast a wish on a nearby star. She wished that none of the lies ever happened and that she and Lancelot were still happy. It was a childish wish, but she still wanted it to come true.

_Only fools wish on stars. Then again, only fools fall in love too. Why did he have to lie to me? And why do I feel so guilty when I'm not the one who did they lying? My heart has never hurt this much. It's not fair. I was so happy with Lancelot. He made me smile like no one could. Why do I still love him?_

After an hour of lying in bed, Dani finally drifted into a restless sleep. She dreamed of the argument over and over again. The cold stab of heartbreak hit her repetitively. When she finally woke up, he heart was racing and she had broken out in a cold sweat. Sleep, she concluded was just going to elude her for a while until her heart had healed. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to happen, but she was going to have to face it sooner or later. She would rather face it now than deal with it later in her life.

In no way did she ever regret her relationship with Lancelot. He had taught her a lot about herself. He was the first guy she really trusted. Now that trust was shattered. Dani felt violated and used. Lancelot had used her and she fell for every moment of it. She was far beyond angry; she was hurt and angry. This wasn't fair.

"He should hurt as much as I do now. I wish he could feel my pain. I've been used and lied to," Dani said, clinching her fists.

What she didn't know was Lancelot was hurting as much as she was, if not more. He sat alone in his room, pondering what had happened. He never meant to hurt Dani. In fact, he wanted to do the exact opposite of hurt her. All he wanted to do was protect her. She meant the world to him. He regretted lying to her for so long. Her pain was his pain. At that moment he wanted to go back down to her room and talk to her about it, but he knew it was best just to leave her alone. The pang in his heart wouldn't subside and he couldn't sleep either.

_How could I have been so stupid? I should have been honest with her from the beginning. I love her so much that my life shouldn't be secret from her. She's told me everything about herself, yet I held this one tiny detail from her. I can't believe I hurt her so much. I promised never to hurt her. Now, I've gone and broken my promise. She should hate me for the rest of my life and into the afterlife as well. I shouldn't even ask for her forgiveness. I don't deserve it._

Lancelot stared at her window from his own window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He waited nearly all night, but she never walked in front of it. Finally, after hours of waiting and watching, Lancelot went to sleep. He dreamed of her face all night long. Her eyes so full of pain haunted him. When he finally woke, the dream still seemed real to him. He pulled his hand to his chest, above his heart. It still hurt as if he was feeling her pain for her.

_My dear sweet Dani, I never meant to hurt you so. If you could hear the cries of my heart, it would explain far more than I ever could. I still love you with all of my heart and always will. You will always have my heart and I will never love another as long as I walk this earth. I never wanted you to be a replacement for your sister, you were different and that's what I love about you. There is still so much I wanted to say. I love you, I love you, and I love you._

**A/N: And so ends chapter 8. I hope you like the story. I figured I'd throw a major complication at Dani and Lancelot. Do you like it, hate it? Talk to me about it. There are even more surprises ahead!**


	9. Without You

Nearly three months had passed and Dani had not spoken to Lancelot at all in that time. Nor had he spoken to her. As she predicted, he returned to his solitary life on the wall. Though she wouldn't admit it out loud to Guinevere, she truly missed Lancelot. Instead of their usual rendezvous under the moonlit sky, she would sit in the library and stare at the fire for hours on end. As the flames danced in front of her eyes, she thought of the first time Lancelot kissed her. He had caught her off guard, but she liked it nonetheless. Even though she slapped him for it, she knew that he knew that she enjoyed it. His kisses were sweet and gentle. Dani loved that. Now that she sat alone, she pushed her fingers on her lips, remembering the sensation of his kiss. For a while she just sat and began thinking.

_I miss him. Why do I miss him so much? By now I should be over our whole relationship. Every time I see him, my heart leaps into my throat, but I don't even speak or acknowledge him. What is the matter with me? I've never been this weak or sensitive in all my life. He lied to me, yet I'm willing to forgive him in my head. This makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm more confused now than when he first told me that he lied to me. Things should be clearer by now and they're only getting foggier. I haven't the foggiest idea of what to do. I miss Lancelot._

Dani sat still, pondering her own thoughts. She wished she could forget her entire relationship with Lancelot now. Earlier, she didn't want to forget it. Now, she wanted to and it was all she could think about. It enveloped all her thoughts and dreams. She wanted answers to why she was feeling like this. It wasn't normal for her and mostly out of her comfort zone. Still, she cursed him in speaking, but couldn't stop thinking of him in her heart and mind.

_With you, I was alive for the first time in my life. Your kisses were sweet and intoxicating. You brought me to life with the first kiss. For a year, you were my joy and had all of my heart. Nothing else mattered to me but you. Your eyes sparkled in my dreams as you held me close. In my dreams we had a family and were happy. Without you, I am an empty pitcher. The darkness clouds around me and I am alone. Your stares are piercing to my soul, as they were once loving and gentle. My dreams are filled with horrid nightmares of the argument and my heart breaking into a million pieces. I die without you._

Each time she thought of the happy dreams she once had of her and Lancelot with children, a piercing knife came through her heart. This was the man she wanted to have a life with and be with for the rest of her life. In one tiny moment, all those dreams were shattered and scattered to the four winds. As far as she was concerned, she could care less if she spent her life with anyone now. The only people she trusted her Guinevere, Arthur, and Venora. Still her heart yearned.

Lancelot sat in his room on the wall, his head sunk into his hands. He thought of her eyes, how full of pain they were each time they passed one another. This was torture to him. Neither had spoken to one another in three months and it was killing him. He wanted to tell her that he was so sorry and that he loved her with all of his heart. For three months he wanted to tell her that he was living in a perpetual hell without her. In the year they were together, she was his world. Nothing else mattered to him but her. And in one instant he blew their relationship up into oblivion.

_If I had just told her the truth from the very beginning, we still could be together and perhaps be getting married. No, I had to be the fool and not tell her everything about myself. I just had to retain that one detail of my life. Why did I have to be so naïve? For once in my life, couldn't I have done something right? I love Dani more than anything in the world. I have to get her back. With her, I found myself again. She made me smile with her gentle laugh. Her hands were silk to my rough face. For the first time, I felt alive when I was around her. Without her, I'm a wreck. Nothing seems right when she's not with me. My hands are cold because they're not around her. Life is hell without Dani and not even worth living anymore._

Lancelot got up and crossed the room to the window. Again, he stayed there hoping to catch a glimpse of Dani in her window. His heart panged with longing and pain. This was no like him. Normally when a girl would leave him, he would never hurt this much. It made him seem weak and vulnerable. The fact was that he was weak and vulnerable. At this point he didn't care if he lived or died. None of it mattered without Dani by his side. As he stood at the window, a small tear escaped from his eye and fell to the floor. It didn't faze him because he kept on standing there. He hated this feeling deep inside. Mostly it felt like someone had thrown an arrow into his heart and then turned it just to torture the victim further. He pulled his hand to his heart. He felt it beating and wished to just make it stop. Then it happened, she walked in front of the window. She was radiant to him. However, he could tell that she was in mass amounts of pain.

"Dani," was all that he whispered into the night air.

**A/N: So, this is like an interlude chapter really. Between what each person is feeling. Hope you like it. Next chapter brings big changes! ) **


	10. A New Beginning

Two more months would pass before Lancelot would see Dani again. In that time, lots of things changed to keep her mind off of him. Arthur and Guinevere announced that their first child would be born soon. Now Dani was completely involved in helping Guinevere prepare to be a mother and at the same time preparing herself to be an aunt. She was happy and smiling again. Guinevere was pleased to see her sister finally smiling after the long months of pain. One day they were in the room that was being decorated as the nursery, talking to one another.

"Dani, I'm so happy to see you smiling again. You didn't smile for almost four months. What changed in you?" Guinevere asked.

"Well, I'm going to be an aunt. The new baby can't have a sad aunt, now can it?" Dani replied.

"No, I am being serious. You were in love with him. How can you forget that so quickly?" Guinevere inquired.

"It's not that I've forgotten. I've just found a place to put it in my heart and make myself stronger. I will never completely heal, but I will live and move on. There will be others eventually," Dani said.

"I am proud of you, Dani. You've taken something terrible and used it to make yourself stronger. There is someone out there for you. When you least expect it, someone will come into your life that can make you smile all the time and you will be the center of his world. I hope you find someone like Arthur. Someone to take care of you, even when you think you don't need it," Guinevere said. "When Arthur found out that we were going to have a child, he immediately told me to stop any unnecessary physical activity. He was so protective. If he's like this now, I'd hate to see how he is when this little one finally arrives," Guinevere said laughing as she patted her stomach.

"Well, I would expect my brother-in-law to take care of my only sister," Dani said as she put her hands on her hips in jest.

The two sisters collapsed into a fit of the giggles. Neither of them had laughed like this in five months. It was a rare moment of joy for both of them. Dani loved talking with her sister. She could tell Guinevere anything in the world and she wouldn't tell a soul their secrets. However, the one thing she refused to talk about with anyone was her relationship with Lancelot. Guinevere knew about it, but Dani never told her details about the relationship. The extent of what she knew amounted to the fact that Dani loved him and he hurt her. It had been five months since she last spoke to him and Guinevere was excited that her sister was finally over him. Guinevere even ventured into talking about a new guy for Dani.

"Dani, have you seen the new stable boy?" Guinevere asked, standing up from the couch the fell onto.

"No I have not. Why do you ask?" asked Dani.

"I hear that he is polite and well mannered. He is a year older than you and just moved here from Rome," replied Guinevere.

"Oh," said Dani, "I haven't seen him. I don't go to the stables that much anymore. It's been months since I last went."

"You should go for a ride. It might do you some good and your horse needs the exercise anyway," Guinevere replied, winking at her sister.

"Alright, I'll go, but on one condition and one condition only," Dani said sternly as she looked her sister in the eye.

"Name it," said Guinevere.

"Don't finish the nursery without me. You don't need to lift anything heavy. Do we have a deal?" asked Dani.

"Deal," replied Guinevere.

Dani got to the stables and found her horse. She untied her and mounted her. Then she rode out of the stables to the fields. The ride was serene and quiet. Dani had time to think about things. She loved her life at the palace with her sister, but she longed for something more. Dani wanted what Guinevere had, a family of her own with a husband and children. She thought about this during the whole ride and as she went back into the stables to put her horse up. A young man came up to her as she was tying her horse up.

"Excuse me miss, you can't put your horse there," he said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"That spot is reserved for the royal family's horses only. You can put your horse in the back," he replied.

"Well, I hate to be rude, but I am part of the royal family. Guinevere is my older sister, so I can put my horse here," she said.

The man blushed slightly and said, "I'm so sorry miss. I didn't realize that you were part of the royal family. Please forgive me."

"All if forgiven. No harm was done. I'm Dani, what's your name?" she asked.

"My name is Henry," he replied.

"Well, Henry. It is nice to make your acquaintance. When did you move here? I haven't seen you before today," she said.

"Just this week. I moved here from Rome. Things were getting far too political for me to live there in peace. My parents were murdered when I turned nineteen. Everyone had an enemy because of their political standing, that's why my parents were murdered. So, I wandered Rome for three years before packing up and moving here," he said. Suddenly he paused, realizing that he was rambling. He stopped and said, "I'm terribly sorry. I tend to ramble and I'm sure you don't want to hear about my life anymore."

"No," Dani said, "quite the opposite. Your life fascinates me. The only Roman I've ever known is my brother-in-law, Arthur. I like listening to your life. You may not know it, but it's a lot like mine. I lost a parent as well. My mother died when I was born. My father and sister raised me from birth. I don't find your life boring at all. So, please continue."

"Alright," he shyly said, "since my parents died, I lived on my own in Rome for three years, always watching my back and looking over my shoulder. One day I just got tired of it, packed up and moved here. Your brother-in-law and sister gave me a job as a stable hand, so now I work here. How about you? Why do you live here with your sister?"

"About a year and a half ago, my sister invited me to come live with her here as a companion. I agreed, left my clan, and moved here. My life is so much better here, but I do miss training back home though," she said.

"Training?" he asked, puzzled, "What kind of training?"

"I was a warrior back home. I am Woad. Ever since I was a child, I've been trained in shooting a bow and arrow, hand-to-hand combat, and other things. While I still continue that training here, it's not the same as it was back home," she replied.

"You're a Woad? I thought they were bloodthirsty savages. I see that you are obviously not a bloodthirsty savage," he said with his voice slightly heightened.

Dani smiled and replied, "No, we're not savages. The paint we wear that makes us look savage is actually an ancient tradition of my people. It's a sign that you are a warrior in my clan. My sister wore it and so did I."

"Oh," he began, "I'm sorry if I offended you. All over Rome there were stories of Arthur and the Sarmatian knights fighting along side the Woads to defeat the Saxons two years ago. Were you in that?"

"No, but my sister was a leader with Merlin. After the war, my sister married Arthur not only for love, but to unify our peoples," she said.

For several more hours they talked about family, war, peace, and lost loves. Dani felt herself connecting with Henry on every level intellectually and emotionally. He knew what it was like to have found love and lost it. A year earlier he had lost his fiancée to a political scandal that someone created in order to kill her. Since then, he had been grieving losing her. Dani told him about Lancelot and what he did to her. Henry was less than pleased.

"How could he do something like that to you?" he demanded to know.

"He said that he didn't want to hurt me," she replied.

"So he lied to you the whole time. Then after a year, finally decided to tell you? How did he expect not to hurt you?" Henry asked.

"I don't know, but what I do know is that it is over between us for good. Even the thought of him repulses me," she explained.

"It's good that you've have time to heal," he said, "Everyone needs that time to move on in their lives." Suddenly, Henry realized that it was late and said, "It's really late and I'm sure you have things to do better than this. I've got some work to do around here before I get into trouble. Can we meet tomorrow afternoon, in here?"

"Sure. I don't know exactly when I can get out of the palace because I'm helping my sister finish the nursery for the baby, but I will do my best to get here early. I guess I will see you tomorrow."

They said their farewells and Henry went back to work. Dani walked out of the stables, smiling and humming a familiar tune from her childhood. Lancelot was walking along the wall when he spotted Dani walking out of the stables. She was happy and he heard the humming. The last time she had hummed anything was when they were still together. Right then he understood and knew that she had found somebody else. He had to know who this new man was.

**A/N: Sorry, I would have posted this chapter yesterday. My computer mouse quit working on me. Believe me, I was frustrated at it and yelling at the darn thing. So, here is the chapter. Hope you enjoy!**


	11. Rethinking Love

The next day Dani was in the nursery again helping Guinevere put together things for the new baby. Since they did not know whether the baby was going to be a boy or a girl, they used yellow to decorate the room until they were sure. Dani was in a chipper mood and literally dancing around the room. Guinevere knew something was up.

"What's his name?" she asked making Dani pause in mid-step.

"Excuse me, what did you say?" Dani asked.

"I asked what his name is. The boy you're dancing around because of. I've only seen you like this when there is a boy involved. Is it that stable hand I told you about yesterday?" Guinevere asked.

"Yes, if you must know it is the stable hand you told me about yesterday. His name is Henry. He is so sweet and kind. We stayed in the stables talking about everything imaginable after I got back from my ride. I found that we have a lot more in common than I could ever think of," Dani said as she smiled from ear to ear.

"My, my, my…how the times have changed. You said I was crazy over Arthur, but this definitely tops it," Guinevere replied, nudging Dani on the arm.

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"No it most certainly does not!"

"It most certainly does!"

"No!"

"Would you listen to us? We're arguing like we were five years old or something," Guinevere said laughing about the silliness of their argument.

After a few more hours of working on the nursery, Guinevere was exhausted and Dani was fidgeting to go meet Henry in the stables. They decided to call it a day and do separate things. Dani bolted out the door, down the hall, and ran all the way to the stables. When she arrived, Henry was right there waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late, my sister and I were finishing some things on my future niece or nephew's room," she explained.

"You don't have to apologize, I understand family comes first," he said.

"You're sweet," she said.

"I have a surprise for you. First I have to blindfold you and then we'll go from there. Is that alright with you?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

Dani turned around and allowed him to put the blindfold on her. Then he grabbed her hand to lead her to a horse. He lifted her onto the horse first and then got in front of her to grab the reins.

"Hold on to me tight," he said as he snapped the reins and kicked the horse to go.

"Where are we going?" Dani asked as she grabbed around his waist.

"You will see when we get there. I promise you will like it," he replied.

The ride was relaxing to Dani, as she held on tight to Henry's waist. She had never ridden a horse blindfolded. This was a totally new experience for her. She didn't mind it however. When the horse finally stopped, Henry helped her off and unblindfolded her. In front of her was a picnic set up under a shade tree by a river.

"Surprise," he said.

"This is amazing. No one has ever done anything like this for me. How did you know that I would like a picnic?" she asked.

"Actually I didn't know you had never been on one. I just guessed you would like one since you like being outside," Henry replied.

Dani laughed as she sat down on the quilt that was laid out. There was a basket, which contained mountains of food. Henry and Dani began to eat. Every so often she would catch him glancing at her. His eyes were sky blue. They laid on the quilt after lunch and stared up at the passing clouds. Dani closed her eyes and rested for a few moments. When she opened her eyes, Lancelot was standing over her. She jumped about four feet off the quilt in surprise. In a moment of panic, she glanced over at Henry. He was fast asleep on the quilt. For that, she was thankful. She turned back to Lancelot.

"Who is that?" he asked angrily.

"None of your concern," she replied.

"It is my concern who he is. He could hurt you," he said.

"He could hurt me! Like you didn't hurt me enough?" she replied.

"I never meant to. That was not my intention at all. I loved you Dani and I still do," said Lancelot as he crouched down beside her.

"No, I can't do this. You hurt me so much that I never wanted to love anyone again. Now that I've finally found someone that I can begin to have a relationship with, you come charging in and expect me to jump into your arms like nothing ever happened? Guess again because I'm not going to," Dani said.

"Dani, please," Lancelot begged.

"I said no. Now please leave before Henry wakes," she said solemnly.

Lancelot could see that getting Dani back was not going to be easy. He stood up and walked away from her back to his room on the wall. When he got inside his room, he sat on his bed, hung his head, and cried. Dani was the only girl he had ever loved this way. Someway, somehow he had to win her back. Lancelot walked over to his window and noticed there was a vine of roses growing up the wall right by his window. He picked one and smelled it. It reminded him of Dani and the roses she would put in her hair when they were together. He was resolved to get her back.

_Dani, why must you torment me so? I see you now with another and my heart bleeds. Nothing is the same without you. It hurts me so to see you with him, knowing that those stolen glances should be mine. Your eyes light up when you look at him. They used to do that for me. Now, I feel that you hate me. But I could never hate you. I love you too much to hate you. I can't live alone knowing that you are happy with someone else. There must be a way to get you back._

* * *

Later that night, when Dani was getting ready for bed, she thought about the afternoon's events. The picnic with Henry was wonderful. He was so sweet and thoughtful to set that up for her. It was perfect until Lancelot showed up. He was always the jealous type, not willing to let something go. She thought of the hateful things that she said to him and felt somewhat guilty. The guy may have hurt her, but she was over that and had no right to say what she had said.

_Lancelot, I'm so sorry for the things I said. If I had the chance I would jump in your arms and let you take me away. Why am I so stubborn? It's not that I don't want to be with you; it's just that my mind oversteps my heart sometimes and my mouth runs away with me. How could I be so stupid? Henry is sweet, but I don't love him. I only love you. The past five months have been torture. I thought I was finally over you, but I'm not. I keep falling back in love with you and would until the day that I die. Please, save me from myself and find me. I will come back to you someday._

Dani drifted to sleep. Her dreams were filled with images of a family of her own. In the dream, a little girl ran up to Dani. The little girl bore a resemblance to Lancelot, only with Dani's eyes. Dani's heart warmed at the sight of her daughter. She was beautiful and full of spirit. When Dani woke the next morning, her heart was still warm with joy. The dream was a sign to her that Lancelot was the one for her. Her heart was made up, now all she had to do was convince her mind. While she was thinking, there was a knock at the door. Dani ran over to open it.

As she opened it she said, "Lancelot!"

Only it wasn't Lancelot.

**A/N: Dun dun dun...don't you love cliffhangers? I do! Let me know what you think.**


	12. Rescued

Arthur stepped inside Dani's room. Dani lowered her eyes, fully expecting to be questioned. She thought she could cry at that moment. No one else knew about her relationship with Lancelot but Guinevere. As of about two seconds ago, her brother-in-law now knew.

"Why did you think I was Lancelot?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I…I…I…" she tried to speak, but she didn't have an excuse. "Okay, Lancelot and I did have a relationship until five months ago. He lied to me, so I left him. No one else knew but Lancelot, Guinevere, and me. I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for a matter of the heart. I understand young love," he said. "What I don't understand is why you called his name when you opened the door. That puzzles me."

"I keep having these dreams about him. I want to move on with my life, but I can't seem to find the strength to. I did find someone else, but I keep feeling guilty about being with him when I know that it hurts Lancelot," she cried.

"Maybe these dreams are showing you that in order to be happy, you must first make peace with yourself about Lancelot. Do you still love him?" he asked.

"Um…um…um…" she stuttered until she finally blurted out, "Yes! Yes I do still love him. He is the only one who has ever made me feel alive. Even if he did lie to me, that doesn't matter anymore. For five months I've been fighting myself about going back to him. I miss him and want to be with him for always."

"Then you should be with him. If it makes both of you happy, that is how it should be. Before you came, Lancelot was withdrawn and depressed. After you arrived I noticed a change in him. I know that the whole reason he would eat at the table is to catch a glimpse of you," Arthur calmly said.

"How did you know about that?" Dani asked quietly.

"I know my friend. Why would he suddenly come out of his solitary existence right after you arrived when he had lived that way for a year, unless it were to see you?" he slyly asked.

"Right. That does make sense," Dani said smiling at the memory of Lancelot staring at her nearly during all meals. "What should I do?" she asked.

"Just do what your heart tells you. The heart knows better than the mind in matters of love," he said reassuringly.

"My heart tells me that no matter how sweet Henry is, Lancelot will be the one I love for always and forever. Each move I make or breath I have taken these past five months has been in the hope of bringing him back to me. Though I would never admit it to Guinevere. She would not have approved," Dani said.

"Then that is the road that you must take. Lancelot was meant for you and you for him. You were both happy together," Arthur replied.

"You know, if you and Guinevere have a girl, you will be very good at giving advice when she has relationship problems," she said, winking.

"Don't even get me started on that one," Arthur said laughing.

"Well I have to go and find Lancelot. Thank you for your help and advice. I really do appreciate it," Dani said.

"You are most welcome. Good luck and I hope you find him," Arthur said as Dani ran out the door.

* * *

Dani ran down the hallway as fast as she could. She had to find him and find him quickly. There was so much that she wanted to tell him, so much that he didn't know. It was after dark and the lamps were lit in the hallways, making it a little easier for Dani to navigate her way through them. Her heart raced with each corridor turn that she got closer to Lancelot's room. She got outside and began to run for the wall when someone stepped in front of her. Dani smacked right into the person and fell to the ground. When she got up to see who it was, she saw Henry.

"Henry, what are you doing?" she asked, completely out of breath.

"The question is, my lady, what are you doing?" he asked back cockily as he pulled her to her feet.

"If you must know, I'm going to see a friend. Since when is it your business what I am doing?" she snapped at him.

"It is my business, seeing that you are my girl and all," he answered, pulling Dani close to him.

Dani shoved him away from her. This was not the Henry she had met yesterday. He had somehow changed into a monster, both possessive and angry. It was sudden and unexpected, but infuriated Dani at the thought of him calling her 'his possession.'

"I am not yours!" she yelled at him as she slapped him across the face and tried to run for it.

Henry lunged at Dani and pulled her to the ground. He pinned her to the ground and began to hit her in the face and stomach. Dani cried out for help. She couldn't push him off of herself and couldn't fight back. With each blow to her stomach and chest, she could feel the air being pushed out of her lungs. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. Out of nowhere, someone came up from behind Henry and hit him in the head. He stumbled off of Dani and struggled to get up from the ground. Henry steadied himself to fight the man, but the man just continued to beat him.

"So, you like to hurt a lady?" he asked as he kicked Henry in the shin. "Well, do you?" he asked again as he punched him in the stomach. "If I ever catch you hurting another lady, you won't live to tell the tale. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes," he answered weakly from the ground.

"Then get your things and leave. Never return here again. If I see you again, there will be consequences far worse than death," the mystery man threatened.

Henry ran out the gates and kept running. The man walked over to Dani, who was unconscious. He felt her forehead and picked her up into his arms.

* * *

When Dani woke several hours later, she was in a small bed under a few blankets. Her chest hurt and her lip was busted. In all honesty, she felt like hell. She felt her lip and the wound had already been cleaned. Then she remembered her rescuer, the man who had saved her from Henry's abusive rage. She sat up and looked around the room, not seeing the man. Suddenly, the door opened and the man walked in. He had a cloak over his head, so she couldn't see his face.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked. There was something comforting about his voice to Dani.

"I'm sore, but otherwise fine. Thank you for saving me," she said.

"It was nothing. A man should never hurt a lady. What were you doing out there all alone this late?" he asked.

"I was going to see someone," she replied.

"A friend?" he curiously asked.

"No, someone I love," she said.

"Oh, I see. Is this love a secret that you must see him so late at night?" he inquired as he turned away for a moment.

"Well, it used to be. We were together for a year and then he lied to me. I left him five months ago and have been miserable since then. Yesterday, when I was on a picnic with Henry, that guy that attacked me, I realized that I didn't really like him all that much. My mind was still on the one that I loved. Then I had a dream last night about him again. It was pointing me to him. After some advice from a friend to follow my heart, I decided to come back to him. Then Henry attacked me before I could get there," Dani replied with tears in her eyes.

"You truly love him?" the man asked as he turned back around.

"Yes," she replied, "with all of my heart I love him."

"Than he is sure to return that love. What was his name?" he asked.

"Lancelot is his name. He is a knight here in this palace," she said, pausing for a moment before saying, "Sir, you are my rescuer and I don't even know you name. Please tell me so that I may thank you properly."

"My name is…"

**A/N: Mwhahahaha…another cliff hanger. Don't you love me for these? I will update soon. Thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews!**


	13. Love Will Find A Way

"…a name you already know," he replied

"I don't believe that I've ever met you before, though I could be mistaken because I cannot see your face under that cloak. Won't you take that off?" she asked.

The man stepped towards Dani. Her heart began to race as he came closer to her. He touched her hand and instantly she felt at ease. There was something reassuring about his touch that Dani couldn't quite place her finger on. She was almost sure she had never met him before, but still she felt no discomfort with him there.

"If you still would like me to take this off, I will oblige your request. I do not mind if you see my face, but it may shock you," he said.

"I want to look into the eyes of the man that rescued me when he didn't have to and thank him. Please take it off," she said.

"As you wish," he replied.

He turned around for a moment to remove his cloak from his head. Dani could see that he had curly brown hair. After a moment of silence the man began to turn around to face Dani.

"Before I let you see who I am, close your eyes," he requested.

Dani closed her eyes as he had asked her. Once the man was sure that her eyes were shut tightly, he leaned forward and kissed her. It startled Dani and she opened her eyes, ready to slap this man who had kissed her without permission. When she opened them, she was staring in the face of Lancelot. Dani gasped and pulled away from the kiss.

"Lancelot!" she exclaimed.

"It is me," he said. "When I saw that guy with you yesterday, I had a feeling that he was not who he seemed to be. So I kept an eye on you. When he attacked you tonight, I had to protect you."

"I was coming to find you to tell you that I still love you," she said.

"Really?" he asked. "How could you still love me when I hurt you so much by lying to you?"

"That doesn't matter anymore. It happened in the past before you even knew me. All that matters is that I love you and have been miserable without you. Can you forgive me for being so selfish?" she asked.

"There is nothing to forgive because you did nothing wrong, my love. I have been depressed without you. I love you so much," he replied.

Lancelot took Dani in his arms and kissed her. With all of her strength she kissed him back. The empty feeling in her heart disappeared as did his. He was careful not to hurt her chest when he was holding her. Although, he busted lip proved to be fine when she was kissing him.

"I've missed you," she said, looking into his eyes.

"And I've missed you," he replied, kissing her forehead.

"You know, I could stay here in your arms forever. I never want to leave you again. You are the only one I could ever love," she said.

"I never would want you to leave. You need to rest though. Lie down on my bed because you're too weak to walk back to your own room," he said.

"Where will you sleep then?" she asked.

"I'm not going to sleep. I am going to stay up and watch over you to make sure that you will be alright," he replied.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, now get some sleep and we'll talk more tomorrow," he said as he picked her up and put her in the bed.

He kissed her good night and she fell asleep fast. This had been a long day for both of them. Now they were reunited and happy once again. Lancelot was content to watch her sleep. He would watch her chest rise and fall to make sure she was breathing. As the moonlight came through his window, it cascaded upon Dani's silk skin along her face and arms. Lancelot thought that the moonlight only enhanced her natural beauty. Dani smiled in her sleep and Lancelot knew that she was happy here. For five months he had dreamed of the day they would reunite and had hoped for it. Now that dream was a reality and Lancelot was happier than he had ever been.

* * *

It was nearing dawn and Lancelot knew that Dani would wake soon. He walked over to the window and pulled a rose from the vines outside his window. Roses were her favorite flower and she loved waking up to them. Quietly, he placed one on the pillow next to her face. When he returned to the chair he was sitting on, he noticed that she was stirring at the smell of the flower. Her eyes opened and she saw the flower. She smiled and sat up. Quickly, Lancelot closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Dani took the flower off the pillow and put it in her hair. She pushed the blankets off and got up off the bed, crossed the room, and went up to Lancelot. Softly, she brushed the side of his face with her hand and kissed his lips. He opened his eyes to her soft touch.

"Good morning. Thank you for my flower, it's beautiful," she said.

"You're welcome, only you are more beautiful than any flower," he replied.

"You flatter me," she said, blushing. "When we were apart, I kept having dreams about you."

"As did I," he said.

"Mine were of having a family with you," she said.

"So were mine. It was as if our dreams were trying to tell us that we belong together or something," he replied, taking her hand in his. "Dani, there is something that I've been wanting to ask you for a long time. I know it may seem sudden, but I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He bent down on one knee and said, "Dani, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Dani could not believe her ears. He was the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She had dreamed of this day when she and Lancelot were together five months ago and now it was finally here. Her heart raced in excitement.

"Yes! Yes I will marry you. I've been waiting for you to ask me that for a long time," she said as she jumped into his arms and kissed him.

Lancelot caught her and kissed her back. He was so happy that she had said yes. The only problem now was how to tell everyone else.

"Darling, how do we go about telling everyone that we're engaged?" he asked, breaking their kiss.

"Well, Arthur and Guinevere already know that we had a relationship. I suppose that we could announce it at dinner tonight. Isn't that how it is done traditionally anyways?" she asked.

"That's a perfect idea. Until then, you can stay here with me to avoid questions about your lip," he said.

Dani touched her hand to her lip. She had completely forgotten about it being busted. A smile crossed her face. When she was with him, she could forget things like that so easily. Her heart was literally full of love at that moment. When he suggested that she stay there for the rest of the day, she didn't mind. Thus far, her day had been perfect. One, she was reunited with the man she loved, two, she was now engaged, and three, she had him all to herself for the rest of the day.

* * *

For the remainder of the day, they sat on his bed talking about their lives now and in the future, after they would be married. It was pure bliss for both of them. Dani told him the dream about their daughter and he smiled. By the end of their discussion about their dreams, it was clear that both of them wanted children. After a while, they got tired of talking and she laid her head back on his shoulder and sighed in happiness. When they were apart, Dani had been miserable without his touch and love. The same had been true with Lancelot. They loved one another with every fiber of their beings. Both of them treasured this alone time.

* * *

At sunset, the time had come for them to go to dinner. Dani was strong enough to walk alone now, so they started for dinner hand in hand. Since it was on the way, they stopped by her room and she went in and changed. She fixed her hair with the rose in it. Ten minutes later, she was good to go. They walked down the corridors to the Dining Hall together. When they reached it, they stopped at the door and looked at one another. They smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Ready if you are," she replied.

"Let's go in. Remember, no matter what they say, I will always love you," he said, squeezing her hand.

"I love you too," she said, squeezing his hand back.

Everyone else was already in the Dining Hall when they walked in. The room went totally silent as they entered hand in hand. Dani and Lancelot knew that they were being stared at by every set of eyes in the room. After a few more moments of awkward silence, Dani spoke.

"There is something we have to say," she said.

"Go ahead," Arthur replied.

"We are engaged to be married," Lancelot and Dani said in unison.

"Oy…finally," said some of the knights.

"Hey, wait a second. How did you know about our relationship?" asked Dani.

"Honey, everyone in here knew about it. We just didn't tell you because we wanted both of you to continue thinking you were having a secret relationship. It would build a bond between you," Guinevere explained.

Dani and Lancelot looked at each other in total confusion. Now it really didn't matter because they were engaged and happy. After a few minutes, both of them thought it was pretty hilarious and would make a great story to tell their children in the future. They sat together at the table next to Arthur and Guinevere. Now that everyone knew about their relationship, they no longer had to hide their affection for one another. They held hands at the table and conversed with everyone. It was a great time for everyone.

The absolute only worry on Dani's mind was the wedding plans.

**A/N: Cheesy, I know. I like the fluff stuff though. It's very sweet and I'm a hopeless romantic so get over it. Lol. So, you know the drill. Leave reviews and such.**


	14. The Accident

(6 Months Later)

Dani was running around the palace, setting the final preparations for her wedding. Guinevere was helping as much as she could, but with the new baby it was a little difficult. However, Dani didn't mind because she knew her niece needed love and attention. When the baby was born four months earlier, Guinevere and Arthur decided to make Dani the baby's Godmother and Lancelot the baby's Godfather. The baby was named Rose Danielle, partially after her Godmother, the other for her Godmother's favorite flower. It was a happy, yet hectic time in the palace. Dani was sewing the remains of the embroidery onto her dress in the library when Lancelot walked in. She looked up from her sewing at him.

"Hello darling. I thought you were going hunting with the other knights today. Did they cancel?" she asked.

"No, we'll be leaving in a few moments. I just wanted to come see you before I left for the day," he explained. "Is that your dress?"

"Yes, it is my dress. You're very sweet, you know that right?" she asked as she got up from her chair, crossed the room, and kissed him. "I love you so much. Promise me something while you're out there."

"Anything," he replied

"Promise me that you won't get hurt. I don't know what I would do without you. Promise?" she asked.

"I promise," he said, kissing her. "I love you and I will see you when we return tonight for dinner."

Lancelot walked out of the room and Dani went back to her sewing. It was a meticulous process of embroidering each design onto the dress, but it was well worth the effort. She decided to take a break when she was about half way done, so she put down the dress and left the room to go visit Guinevere and the baby down the hall in the nursery. When she got there, Guinevere was rocking the baby to sleep, singing her a lullaby. Dani recognized the lullaby right away. Guinevere used to sing her to sleep with that same one. It had come from their mother before she died. A smile swept across her face as she listened to the words of the lullaby. Her mind envisioned a much younger Guinevere singing that song to a much younger version of herself.

"_Guin, where did that song come from?" she asked._

"_It's a lullaby mother used to sing to me when I would go to sleep at night. Now, I'm passing it on to you so that you can sing your own children to sleep when they are young," she replied._

The vision faded as Dani came back to reality. She opened the door slowly when she heard Guinevere stop singing. Rose was fast asleep in her arms and Guinevere was about to put her in her cradle. When Dani opened the door, she stopped and smiled at her younger sister. Dani loved Rose to death and Dani was one of Rose's favorite people. Guinevere walked over to Dani.

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked.

"I wouldn't want to wake her. You just got her to sleep," Dani replied.

"It's alright. She will go right back to sleep for you," Guinevere said.

"Sure. I would love to hold her, after all she is my favorite niece and Goddaughter," Dani said, taking Rose into her arms.

The baby woke up for a moment and stared at Dani. Then, as if she found comfort, she laid her head back down on Dani's chest and fell back to sleep. Dani was amazed at the fact that her niece knew who she was. After all, she was only four months old. She stared back at her sister who was smiling at her.

"See, I told you that she would fall back to sleep for you. Rose knows you by heart," Guinevere said.

"I can't believe that she is so big. It seems like only yesterday that she arrived and now look at her. Next thing you know, she'll be walking and running and riding a horse as well as you or Arthur," Dani said smiling down on her niece.

"Well, I don't think I'm quite ready for her to walk yet. I'm just getting used to her sleeping for more than a few hours of the night and her smile. The other day I was going around, putting her clothes up and she was awake in her cradle. I looked down at her and she smiled back at me. It was the most amazing thing," Guinevere exclaimed.

"She's smiling?" Dani asked.

"Yes. I could hardly believe it myself," the elder sister replied.

"Astonishing," said the younger, "Lancelot and I want lots of children. He says it doesn't matter if they are sons or daughters, but I know he wants at least one son and I intend to give him one."

"Lancelot is good to you as Arthur is good to me. When Rose was born, Arthur wasn't upset that she wasn't a boy. He was delighted to have a daughter. The first time he saw her he said to me, 'Guinevere, we're going to have a time of it fending off all the boys that will be chasing after her!' Since then, he has never pressured me to have another child. He says that when we're ready we will have another and it does not matter if it's another girl or if it is a boy. How did we get so lucky to have such compassionate men in our lives?" Guinevere asked.

"We truly have been blessed. Even though Lancelot was a bit stubborn in the beginning, he's turned out to be the most wonderful man I know. He even saved my life one night several months ago," Dani said, suddenly realizing what she said cupped her hand over her mouth.

"Saved your life? Dani, what happened? Is that why you had that busted lip when you announced your engagement six months ago?" Guinevere demanded to know.

"Yes, that is why I had a busted lip. I was on my way to see him when Henry, the stable hand attacked me and said I was his property. He pinned me to the ground and began beating me. I feared what he might do next. Lancelot saved me by beating Henry off of me and threatening him within an inch of his life. Henry ran and I was unconscious. Lancelot picked me up and carried me back to his room and tending to my wounds. When I woke, he was there and had a cloak on so I could not see his face. I begged him to reveal himself so that I might thank my rescuer properly. He kissed me and I almost slapped him until I opened my eyes to see that it was him. I fell back asleep after a few moments of talking. When I woke again, he left me a rose on my pillow. I kissed him and we talked for a while longer before he proposed to me and I accepted because I love him with all my heart," she explained.

Guinevere stared at her sister after the long explanation of everything that happened. She began to laugh. When Dani saw that her sister was fine with everything, she began to laugh too. They both laughed until their sides hurt and Dani's arms felt like they were going to fall off from holding the baby. Guinevere took Rose from Dani and laid her gently in her cradle to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. The sisters began to talk once more when a servant interrupted them.

"Excuse me, my ladies," the servant said, "I bring grave news."

"What?" both sisters asked in unison with panic in their voices.

"There has been an accident of some sort and the knights are quickly returning. The knight Lancelot was hit by an arrow and is dying," the servant said.

**A/N: Dun dun dun! Mwhahahaha another cliffhanger. Review please and let me know if you love, like, or hate it.**


	15. I Have Truly Loved You

Dani's heart was racing as she ran down the hallway. In her heart she didn't want to believe what the servant had said. Lancelot couldn't be dying, he just couldn't. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears already and she hadn't even seen him. Her mind was reeling with the thought of what could've happened to him. Fear rose within her as she knew that with every step she took another minute of Lancelot's life could be gone without her by his side. When she reached the front door, she paced the floor waiting for them to arrive to get him medical attention immediately. Panic rose within her chest as she breathed heavily when she heard horses in the courtyard.

_My sweet Lancelot, you promised me that you wouldn't get hurt. Now you're dying and I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless. Please don't leave me after I just got you back. I know that I can't live without you in my life. You complete me in ways I cannot describe. I don't want you to die. Please, please don't leave me._

The door flew open with Galahad, Bors, Gawain, Tristan, and Arthur carrying Lancelot in on a makeshift bed of sorts. There was an arrow sticking out of his chest, near his shoulder. Dani started to run towards him when she realized that he was conscious, but the other knights stopped her from getting to him. Lancelot caught a glimpse of Dani and wanted to tell her something.

"Wait," he yelled, "let her through. I need to tell her something."

The knights let Dani get to him. When she got to him she kissed him. After a few minutes he broke the kiss to say what he needed to tell her.

"Dani," he began before Dani interrupted him.

"Shhh, save your strength," she said.

"No, I need to tell you something. If I should die…" he said, but Dani interrupted him once again.

"NO!" she began to cry.

"Dani, it's alright. If I should die you should know one thing. I have truly loved you and no one else. I love you Dani," he said.

"You are going to make it, you're strong. Please don't leave me. I love you Lancelot, I love you so much," she said.

Arthur interrupted the two lovers.

"We have to get him to the doctor to get the arrow out. I'll come back out and let you know when they've got it out and how he is doing. For now, I'm leaving Tristan out here to take care of you," he said. Then he turned to Tristan and said, "I'm trusting you to take care of her until I get back with news of Lancelot. Answer any questions she may have. Can you do that?"

"Yes. Go, get him to a doctor quickly," Tristan answered.

Arthur allowed for one last kiss between Lancelot and Dani before they whisked him to a doctor. Dani found a chair in the entrance hall to sit in and she began to cry. Tears fell to the floor of the palace and created a small puddle below her feet. The tears tasted of salt on her cheeks. Her heart ached in agony of not knowing whether she would ever see Lancelot again alive and well. Tristan walked over to Dani and sat next to her. Slowly she raised her head to look at him.

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes were red from crying.

"We were out hunting like we always do. Everything was going normally and we had gotten a few birds and were after a deer. I motioned for Lancelot and Galahad to follow me and for Arthur, Bors, and Gawain to go around on the other side of the deer. We were circling around it when an arrow came out of nowhere and hit Lancelot. I heard him fall behind me and when I turned around he had the arrow sticking out of his chest. I scanned the area to see who might have shot the arrow and I saw what looked like a Saxon scout on the horizon. When I looked closer, sure as bloody hell is was a Saxon. The scout realized that I had seen him and ran before I could shoot him. We realized that we wouldn't be able to take the arrow out ourselves and that it was serious, so we sent word back here to get help when we arrived," Tristan said.

Dani didn't want to hear anymore. Tears streamed down her face once more and she hung her head in her hands. Tristan didn't really know how to comfort her. A few moments later, Guinevere appeared from the stairs leading to the entrance hall, which relieved Tristan because he knew how close they were as sisters. She walked down to Dani and put her hand on her back to rub it to comfort her. Dani looked up to see Guinevere and leaped up to hug her. Guinevere held her sister understandingly as she pulled her hair out of her face. As soon as Dani's sobs subsided for a while, Guinevere decided to try to talk with her.

"Oh Dani, I'm so sorry. Did they tell you what happened?" she asked.

"Bloody Saxons shot him when they were hunting," Dani replied.

"Lancelot is strong, he'll pull through. I know he will. Besides, he loves you too much to leave you here alone," Guinevere said reassuringly.

"Guinevere, I don't know what I will do without him if he doesn't pull through. Just when everything was going perfectly, something dreadful has to happen to ruin things," replied Dani.

"This will make your relationship stronger and your bond grow even more. Keep thinking positively and it will help the situation. He knows that you love him and that love is what will help him pull through," said Guinevere.

The sisters embraced as Dani felt more tears coming on. Her sobs were quieter than before because of the energy that had already been drained from her body. Guinevere held her while she cried for an hour or more. Dani could not stand waiting any longer for news of Lancelot and was about to go up to see how he was doing when Arthur came down the stairs. Dani ran to meet him, but quickly stopped when she saw he had a grim look on his face. That look was all to familiar to Dani and only meant one thing that she had learned in all her life. In her heart she knew that Lancelot didn't make it. She collapsed to the floor and began to sob again, rocking back and forth on the floor.


	16. This I Promise You

When Dani collapsed to the floor crying, Arthur ran down the steps. He sat down beside her, as did Guinevere. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, Arthur finally began talking to Dani about the situation.

"Dani, the doctors got the arrow out of Lancelot. However, they do not believe that he will make it through the night," he explained.

"He's alive?" Dani asked, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yes, for now he is. He is partially conscious and asking to see you. I asked the doctors if it would be all right if you came in to see him and they said that it was 'family only' and I told them that you were his wife-to-be, so they agreed. Are you ready to see him?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, I want to see him," Dani answered confidently.

Arthur led her up the stairs and down several hallways. The journey was made in complete silence with Guinevere holding Dani's hand. Dani didn't know how to prepare herself to see Lancelot in his condition. It was hard enough knowing that at any moment she could lose him, but to see him like this would almost be unbearable, but she knew that she had to or she would never forgive herself. Arthur abruptly stopped at a door at the end of a hallway. Several of the other knights were already gathered around the door of their fallen comrade. Arthur led Dani through the crowd to the door itself.

"Are you sure that you are ready to see him?" he asked.

"Yes, absolutely sure. Please open the door," she replied.

The door opened and Dani went inside and shut the door behind her. Lancelot was lying on a bed covered by a sheet. He had no shirt on and his wound was bandaged. Dani quietly walked up to him, not sure if he was awake or not. As soon as she got close enough to him, he turned his head towards her.

"Dani, is that you?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm right here beside you and I'm not going anywhere," she replied taking his hand in her own.

"I broke my promise not to get hurt," he said smiling at her.

"It's alright, I forgive you. Besides, it wasn't your fault. I know about the Saxon shooting you," she said.

"The doctors don't know if I'm going to survive through the night," Lancelot started to say, but Dani stopped him.

"Don't talk like that! You're going to make it. I know you can because you're strong. Please don't give up because I need you and love you so much that I can't live without you. Remember you promised me that we were going to have lots of children together and you were going to teach them how to ride horses and I was going to teach them to shoot bows and arrows? I can't do that alone. I need you. We're a team remember?" she asked him.

"Of course, how could I forget my promises to you? I didn't mean to upset you; I just wanted to prepare you for the worst that could possibly happen. No matter how strong I may be, there still is a risk that it could happen," he explained.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just love you too much to lose you," she said, bending down to kiss him.

"No, the fault is my own. I should have never gone out today to begin with. With our wedding so close, I should not have risked my life going out hunting like that," Lancelot said.

Dani smiled at him and said, "Don't blame yourself. I don't blame you either. Besides, you need to rest and save your strength. I love you and will be right here beside you until you get well."

"I love you too," he replied.

* * *

Lancelot fell asleep and rested quietly for hours. Dani never left his side, not for food, water, or anything. The doctors even allowed her to climb onto the other side of the bed and lay on his good shoulder. They thought it might give him the strength he needed to pull through. After a while, he became touch and go with his body burning with fever. For a moment the doctors were preparing Dani for the worst that could happen, but his fever broke and he went back to normal. Dani hated seeing him like this because she knew that he was in pain and couldn't do anything about it. She also knew that if he should pull through this, his recovery would be a long road. After a while, she grew hungry, so she had food brought to her. When it arrived she climbed off of the bed and sat in a chair to eat. The food had filled her up and she was tired, but before she could make it to the bed, she fell asleep in the chair with her arms folded on the table and her head resting on her arms.

She slept for a few hours, dreaming about a family again. A few moments later, she was abruptly awakened by someone moving her hair out of the way and kissing her neck. Her eyes opened and she turned around to see Lancelot standing above her. All she could manage was a gasp at the sight she saw. She reached up and touched him to make sure that he was real and she felt his skin. Immediately she stood up and kissed his lips to make sure that he was truly real. What she felt was the same kiss she only felt with Lancelot. When she kissed him, she knew that he was real and that he was standing. He wrapped his good arm around her waist and she instantly felt protected.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine. My shoulder hurts slightly, but I'll live," he replied.

Those words were music to Dani's ears. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she caressed his face with her silken hands. She kissed him over and over again.

"I thought I was going to lose you," she said.

"You could never lose me. I love you too much to leave you here. Unless you go somewhere, I don't go," he said.

"I love you so much," Dani said, laying her head down on his bare chest and listening to his heartbeat.

Both of them enjoyed this moment alone. No one else knew that he was well, so they were happy to be alone. They realized that for the next few weeks, moments alone were going to come few and far between with the wedding being planned and everything being prepared for it. After the wedding, however, they also knew that they could spend all the time in the world alone. All they had to do was lock the door.

"Do you think we should tell the others that you are alright?" Dani asked, lifting her head up for a moment.

"Only if you want to right away. If not, I think they can wait a few moments longer," Lancelot replied playfully.

"Alright, we won't tell them right away. Besides, I want you to myself for a little while," she said.

The two of them stayed in that room nearly a whole day before coming out. Lancelot found a shirt and pants to wear before leaving. When they came out, no one was around, so they snuck down to Dani's room so that she could change. She brought him in the room so that he wouldn't be seen. After picking out a dress to wear, she changed behind a curtain so he wouldn't see her. When she was ready, she peered out of her room to check if anyone was in the hallways. No one was, so they ran out of her room. They were absolutely quiet as they neared the Dining Hall. Arthur was speaking.

"There has been no word on Lancelot's condition. As you all know, Dani, his fiancée is with him. I will inform you when I know how he is doing," Arthur said.

They walked into the Dining Hall together and heard gasps from the crowd gathered in there. Every eye stared at Lancelot. It was a look of amazement and awe as he and Dani walked around to their seats by Arthur and Guinevere. After a few awkward moments of silence, Dani got up from her seat and proceeded to explain.

"Lancelot is fine. Although his shoulder is still in slight pain, he will be alright in a week or two. Please, continue your meal and stop staring at him," she said.

"Knew you wouldn't leave us all here!" exclaimed Bors.

"Somebody up there must like you. Nobody I've ever seen has survived a shot like that from a Saxon crossbow," Gawain said.

"You must really have something to live for down here to hang on like that. Hell, you wouldn't even pass out until we got you back here. What've you got that kept you going for that long?" asked Galahad.

"A girl," Lancelot said, "my girl."

"Ah," all the knights said in unison.

"She never left my side when I was conscious or unconscious. The love I feel for her is what gave me the strength to pull through. Nothing mattered more to me than her. Seeing her cry and refuse to leave me is what made me fight it," Lancelot explained as he glanced at Dani.

"Well, we are all glad that you are going to be alright. You're a real fighter, Lancelot. Now, let us raise our glasses in honor of Lancelot's return to us," said Arthur, picking up his glass.

"To Lancelot!" exclaimed the crowd.

"Good gods, you're making me sound like some sort of martyr," said Lancelot, with a smirk on his face.

Everyone laughed, ate, drank, and was merry the rest of the evening. Long after dinner was over, Dani and Lancelot were walking along the courtyard. It was quiet and romantic for the two of them, which is exactly how they liked it. That is, until they heard Rose crying through the open window of her nursery. After a few minutes, she had calmed down and all was peaceful again. They began to talk about their future.

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle a baby crying all the time?" Dani asked as she turned to face him.

"I will be able to handle it fine if you can," he replied.

"Lancelot, I've been around babies nearly all of my life when I lived with my clan. I watched over the little ones when their parents went to war because my father refused to acknowledge that I had a talent to fight. As far as I know, you've never even held an infant before," she replied.

"I have held a newborn before. When my younger sister was born, my mother let me hold her and showed me how to hold her," he said.

"Oh, I didn't know about that. I'm sorry I judged you before I knew," she said, blushing in the moonlight.

"It's fine. No harm done. Are you sure that you'll be able to handle carrying a child inside you for many months with your small frame?" he asked.

"Yes, I will be able to. My sister and I have about the same frame and she was fine carrying Rose until it was time for her to be born. The only caution she gave me was not to be walking around too much. Other than that, I should be fine having a child on my own," she replied.

"If you'll be alright with it, I'm fine. I want us to have our own children and raise them here," Lancelot said.

"I do too," she replied.

They went on talking for a while until the moon was very high in the sky. Then, Lancelot walked her back to her room. When they got there, he kissed her good night and she shut the door. Although, it was getting harder and harder for her to close the door every time without just pulling him in.

**A/N: I had you going there didn't I? Well, Lancelot is not dead I can assure you. However, there are more surprises in store. Review please and let me know what you think!**


	17. Insecurities

It had been many weeks since Lancelot was shot. Every day he grew stronger and stronger. Dani was grateful that he was alive and well. Her mind now dwelled on her imminent wedding, which was in two days. The dress she had been working on was now finished and hanging in her room. Preparations had been made for the chapel on the palace grounds, where the wedding would be held. Every thing was ready and waiting. Dani was also waiting and anticipating her wedding day. It was after dinner and she was pacing the floor of her room. The realization that two days from now she would be Lancelot's wife was slowly sinking in her mind. They had been through so much together and now it was finally happening, they were finally getting married. Her only hope was that everything would go as it should and nothing would go wrong. As she paced the floor, Guinevere came into her room

"Nervous?" she asked.

"Very," was Dani's reply.

"Don't worry. I was this nervous before my wedding to Arthur as well. It's perfectly normal," Guinevere said reassuringly.

"It's not that. I'm just worried that something will go wrong. After all, Lancelot and I have already been through so much together. Our secret relationship, the breakup, Henry attacking me, and Lancelot getting shot by an arrow. How much more could we possibly take?" Dani asked.

"All things happen for a reason. Those things happened to you to bring you both closer together and bond you for life. Everything will be fine. Trust me, everything will go as it should," Guinevere said.

Dani was grateful for her older sister. Guinevere was always able to calm Dani down when she was going insane with worry. Another thing that worried Dani, however, was her relationship with her sister. She knew it was going to change after she got married, but to what extent? When Guinevere married Arthur, it didn't change too much, but now both of them would be married. Would they be closer or farther apart? This thought plagued Dani's mind as well.

Guinevere stared at her sister, who had a blank expression on her face. It was as if she was in deep thought. She reached out her hand to shake her from her state of silence. When she did, Dani nearly jumped out of her skin. Guinevere laughed at her younger sister. Dani, however, didn't think it was as funny.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded to know.

"You were looking entirely too serious for a moment. I had to make you snap out of it before you lost your mind," Guinevere replied.

"Yes, yes you're right. I was about to lose it wasn't I? Thank you. I have to admit, it was kind of funny now that I think about it," Dani said, smiling.

Both of them heard Rose crying from the other room. So, they both went to the other room to see what was wrong with her. When they got there, Rose had pulled herself up on the side of the cradle. She was crying and screaming.

"Mama!" she cried when she saw Guinevere come through the door.

"Aww, my poor baby. What's wrong darling?" she cooed at the baby as she picked her up out of the cradle.

When the baby's crying subsided, Guinevere turned around to Dani.

"Do you think you're ready for one of these?" she asked laughing.

"No, not yet. Neither Lancelot nor I are ready for a baby yet. We want to wait a while before we have children," Dani replied.

"Well, Arthur and I weren't planning on having a baby this early either. These things happen sometimes and aren't planned. But, it's been the best thing ever. I love Rose and couldn't imagine my life without her now," Guinevere said.

"I don't know. I'm just so afraid of having a child. What if I drop my baby or if I do something wrong?" Dani asked.

"It's part of learning to be a mother. Besides, in all the times you've held Rose, you've never dropped her. You will be a great mother when the time comes. Until then, enjoy your time alone with Lancelot. When you have a child, there is no more alone time hardly," Guinevere said, laughing slightly.

Dani's conversation with Guinevere eased some of her insecurities about being married, but none about having children. She was still scared to death of hurting her own child. Nothing could change that for the moment. Maybe once she had her own child, her fears would subside eventually with time. After all, she did dream of having her own family with Lancelot quite often in her sleep.

She left the nursery and went back to her own room to try and get some sleep. When she arrived back at her room, Lancelot was waiting for her. Even though she was surprised by him being there, she welcomed the company. Dani was glad he came.

"I didn't know you were coming today," she said.

"I wanted to surprise you," he replied

"Well," she said kissing him, "you have surprised me and I enjoy surprises. Just think, in two days we'll be married."

"I am looking forward to it. There is something I need to ask you though," he said.

"Ask me anything," she said smiling.

"After we're married and had time alone together, would you like to meet my family in Sarmatia?" Lancelot asked.

"Really?" she asked. "I would love to meet your family. Do you think they would like me?"

"No," he replied kissing her forehead, "they'll love you as I do."

Dani smiled at him and asked, "Have I told you that I love you today?"

"Not to my knowledge you haven't," Lancelot replied.

"Well, I love you with all of my heart. You are the only man I want to be with for the rest of my life. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have you in my life," Dani said, resting her head on his chest.

"I am lucky to have you in my life. Had you not been in my life, I probably wouldn't be here. When I was shot with the arrow, all I could think of was you. You are the reason I'm standing here alive today. I never want to leave you ever again," he whispered softly in her ear.

"I am so scared," she admitted to Lancelot.

"Scared of what, my love?" he asked.

"Not of getting married, just of having children. I'm scared that I'll hurt our child or drop them. What if I'm not a good mother? I'm just so scared," she cried.

"You are going to be a wonderful mother, Dani. Our children are going to adore you and love you. I've seen you with your niece and you wouldn't drop our babies anymore than you would drop Rose. No more worries, with time you will see that I am right and that you will be a great mother," he lovingly said.

They stood there for a while, Dani in his arms. Love filled their hearts, as they both knew that they would belong to one another in two days time. Dani no longer had any doubts about marriage or having a family with Lancelot. Though she was still slightly nervous about having a child of her own to care for, she knew that Lancelot was right. For now, she was content to think about getting married and worry about children later.

**A/N: Ok, I know it's the cheesy stuff again. Again, I'm a hopeless romantic. Thank you to all my reviewers, you guys are my heroes! This chapter is dedicated to janell. **


	18. The Wedding Day

Dani woke to sun streaming in her eyes from the beautiful winter day outside her window. Today she would become Lancelot's wife. For many weeks she had anticipated this day and now it was finally here. She rolled over on her side and stared at her dress hanging from the wardrobe ten feet away from her bed. Every pattern on the dress she had embroidered herself and she was proud of her work. It was by far the best she had ever done. Finally, she would get to wear it. The thought that in a few hours she and Lancelot would be together forever made her heart overflow with joy. After all that they had been through, they deserved a day of peace and happiness together to get married. Dani stretched her arms above her head before sliding off of the bed and standing on the floor. She realized that today was the last day that she would get up alone. The reality sunk into her head that she was no longer going to have guys chasing after her like a wild animal made her smile. It was a good reality because she never really liked guys who did that anyways. Lancelot was the only one that she ever allowed to pursue her and did he ever.

A soft knock came from the door, interrupting Dani's thoughts. She walked over to the door and answered it. Guinevere came in when the door was opened. Dani was happy to see her sister. This was the most important day of her life and she wanted to share it with Guinevere who had been like a mother to her all of her life.

"Good morning," Dani joyfully said.

"Well, good morning yourself. I haven't seen you this happy in the morning ever in your life," Guinevere replied laughing.

"Well, I have reason to be happy today. I'm getting married today!" Dani exclaimed in delight.

"I know exactly how you feel. Believe me, I was exactly like that on my own wedding day. Mother would be so proud of you right now if she were still with us, but I know she is watching over you," said Guinevere.

"How I wish she could be here today. Even though I never knew her, I still feel somehow connected to her," Dani said.

"Of course you will feel connected to her, she was your mother. Especially on days like this will you feel the need to have her here. I went through the same thing when I married and when Rose was born. However, we still have each other and that is what counts for us. I promise to be there when you are married and when your children are born. That is what sisters are for. They're there for one another when the other is in dire need," replied Guinevere.

"You are the closest thing to a mother that I have ever known," Dani said.

The sisters embraced one another. It was a bittersweet moment because they knew that their relationship would be changing today from Guinevere being the nurturing older sister to a more equal status between the two of them. In a sense, they would be closer than ever before because they both would now be married. Now they could talk about things that Guinevere could never discuss with Dani because she was not married and would not understand. Today would be a day of changes for both of them.

Guinevere bid Dani farewell for a short time to take care of something before the wedding would occur. She ran down the hallway and out the door to the courtyard, up the stairs to Lancelot's room. When she knocked on the door, Lancelot answered it.

"Yes," he said looking quite startled and confused.

"Can I talk to you?" Guinevere asked breathlessly.

"Sure, come inside out of the cold," he said opening the door so that she could walk inside.

"I wanted to talk to you before the wedding today," she said once she was inside the door.

"About what?" he asked.

"I want to be sure of some things before you can marry my sister. I want you to be brutally honest with me when I ask you these things," she replied.

"I'm all ears. Ask away," he said.

"Do you love my sister?" she asked as her first question.

"With all of my heart," Lancelot replied.

"Will you remain faithful to her, care for her, and never hurt her so long as you both shall remain alive?" Guinevere asked.

"Yes, I love Dani and would never let any harm come to her by anyone, much less myself. Anyone who would try to hurt her will have to face me and the wrath it will incur from me. I would never stray from her either. She is the only woman that I will ever love as long as my heart still beats and even after I die," he replied.

"My sister loves you more than life itself. Now I am sure that you love her the same way. For her sake, I just had to be sure before she could get hurt. Dani is insecure about things in her life and the new life you will have together," Guinevere said.

"I know and understand your concern. You are a wonderful sister to be watching over her so protectively. Dani and I will work through her insecurities to where she is comfortable with our lives together. I promise not to upset her either. I love her too much to let anything harm her, physical or mental," Lancelot said.

"Thank you for reassuring me that my sister will be safe with you. I truly appreciate it more than you realize," she said. "Now I must go and help her finish getting ready. Thank you again."

"You are more than welcome," he replied as she walked out the door and shut it.

Guinevere came back to Dani's room to help her get ready. Dani had already put her dress on when Guinevere got back and was working on her hair. Guinevere walked over to her younger sister and began helping her put her hair up, allowing curls to cascade out of the bun. They pinned red and pink roses, her favorite flower, in her hair between the curls. When her hair was finished, Dani was ready. She stood up from the chair and faced Guinevere. Dani was so beautiful that Guinevere shed a small tear of joy.

"Guinevere, you're crying. Is everything alright?" Dani asked with a look of concern on her face.

"It's nothing like that. You're just so beautiful, Dani. Besides, these are happy tears because I'm happy for you," Guinevere replied.

"Thank you so much, for everything. This means the world to me and I would have no one else help me but you. You have been there for every step of my life since the day I was born. Even though today is a day of many changes, I never want our relationship to die. Promise me that no matter what happens that we will always be close," Dani said, biting her lip and trying not to cry.

"I promise," Guinevere replied in Woadish, the language of their people. It was the first time in nearly two years that Guinevere had spoken it.

Dani smiled at her sister's response, knowing that it was the truth. There was understanding silence between the two of them for a few moments. That silence was shattered by the sounds of the chapel bells sounding that it was time for the wedding to begin. Guinevere helped Dani pick up her dress and walk down the halls until they reached the chapel doors. When they reached the doors, Dani turned to Guinevere and sighed to calm herself.

"Are you ready?" Guinevere asked Dani.

Dani grabbed her sister's hands and said, "Yes, I'm ready now."

The doors opened and Dani saw Lancelot standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her with the priest. Flowers were everywhere, completely covering the chapel with their delicate beauty. Dani began walking down the aisle. Even though she was nervous, she was ready for this. This was her day to shine. As she walked down the aisle, she saw all the knights there, even Bors and Venora with all of their children. Arthur was holding baby Rose in the front row. When she reached the front, Guinevere sat down with Arthur and the ceremony began. Though Dani didn't remember much about it, she did remember one thing for sure.

The priest said, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

With those words, Lancelot kissed Dani and they were married. After the ceremony, there was a feast held in their honor in the Dining Hall. Everyone was merry and content. There was lots of laughter, stories, and food to go around.

"You know," Bors said, "I think now is the right time to say something to my lovely Venora."

"Bors, sit down. You've had way too much to drink tonight," Galahad said.

"No, I haven't," Bors replied, then turned to Venora. "Venora, you've put up with me all of these years and given me eleven children. Now I think it is time for me to give something back to you. Will you marry me?"

Venora blushed and finally said, "Yes, yes I will marry you." She kissed him and the whole room cheered. Everyone that is, except for Dani and Lancelot who were too involved kissing to even notice everyone else in the room.

While the whole room was toasting the engagement of Bors and Venora, Lancelot and Dani slipped away from the table and headed back to her room for privacy. No one noticed at first until after the toast.

"Hey," Tristan said, "where are the guests of honor?"

"I guess they wanted to get a head start on that family they talked about," replied Gawain winking.

The whole table laughed, but realized the truth in Gawain's statement. After all, they were newlyweds.

**A/N: So here is the wedding chapter. Thank you to all my reviewers for my wonderful reviews. I love them so much! Keep reviewing and I'll keep posting as fast as I can.**


	19. I'M WHAT!

When Dani woke up the next morning flat on her stomach with a sheet wrapped around her. She rolled over to look at Lancelot sleeping next to her, but he was already awake and looking at her. A smile rolled across her face as she leaned over and kissed him. He pulled her closer to him and she snuggled next to him. Slowly he wrapped his arm around her waist. They were perfectly, incandescently content.

"Good morning, my darling," he said, kissing her neck.

"Good morning, my love," she replied.

"How are you this morning?" he asked.

"I'm doing fine. Last night was the best night of my life!" she exclaimed.

"Mine as well. I love you Dani," Lancelot said.

"I love you too," Dani replied.

They kissed for a moment before deciding to get out of bed. It had been the most memorable night of Dani's life and she was humming out of happiness as she went to the wardrobe to pick out a dress. She picked out a violet one with a gold trim along the waist and hem, one of her favorites. Once she had the dress on, she realized the buttons were in the back. She was about to call for Guinevere when she remembered that buttoning up her sister was no longer her job. So, she held the back of the dress together and walked over to Lancelot.

"Darling, would you please button this dress up. I can't reach them," she said sweetly to Lancelot.

"Of course. Turn around," he said.

He began buttoning the dress up, but before he reached the top he kissed her shoulder blades and neck. This made Dani go weak at the knees. She knew he did this on purpose to make her do exactly that. So, he finally finished buttoning the dress and they were almost ready to go. Dani brushed out her curls and threw them into a loose bun at the base of her neck. Lancelot pulled his shoes on and they were now ready to go. They walked out hand-in-hand from her room. However much she looked the same, Dani was a different woman now than she was the day before. Now she could talk about things with her sister that she previously knew nothing about. It was the beginning of a new life for her.

Later on, after spending some more quality time with Lancelot, Dani went to the nursery where Guinevere was getting Rose to play with some blocks on the floor. Rose could now sit up on her own for short periods of time and Guinevere was very proud of her daughter's progress. When Dani walked into the room, Rose looked up for a moment from her blocks.

"Da-ni!" she squealed with delight.

"Well, hello my beautiful little niece. I hope you're not causing too much trouble for you mommy," she said, picking Rose up and spinning in a circle causing the baby to laugh with glee.

"How are you today Dani?" Guinevere asked.

"I am wonderful, even better than I imagined," Dani replied as she put Rose back onto the floor to play.

Guinevere laughed and said, "I knew you would be."

Guinevere and Dani knowingly looked at one another, knowing that their bond was now stronger because they were both married and would continue to grow when Dani had children of her own.

* * *

(3 months later)

For weeks Dani had been feeling under the weather. Early in the morning she would wake up and become sick. She was tired and irritable most of the time. Poor Lancelot couldn't make sense of it. Usually, Dani was never like this. He hated seeing her be so sick all of the time and he could do nothing to help her. During these weeks that she was sick, she kept her illness to herself, never telling a soul other than Lancelot and she made him promise not to tell anyone either. After dealing with it for a few weeks, Dani finally caved and went to the one person she could count on for anything, Guinevere. She found Guinevere in her and Arthur's room.

"Guinevere, can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Sure, are you alright Dani, you look terrible?" Guinevere asked.

"That's why I need to talk to you. I have no idea what is wrong with me and I've been sick for weeks now," Dani cried.

"Tell me about this illness," Guinevere said understandingly.

"When I wake in the morning, I'm sick. Most of the time I'm tired and I yell at Lancelot for nothing. I cry more than I used to," Dani explained.

"I know what's wrong with you," Guinevere said, smiling.

"You do?" Dani asked. "Then tell me, I must know how to cure this."

"My dear, sweet little sister. You're with child. That is why you've been like this for weeks. Your body is changing to adapt to the little one inside of you," Guinevere explained to Dani.

"I'm what!" Dani exclaimed out of surprise. The thought had never occurred to her that she could be having a child.

"You're going to be a mother, Dani," Guinevere said.

"I've got to tell Lancelot," Dani said. She touched her stomach and whispered, "I'm going to be a mother."

This was unexpected for Dani. She stood there for a moment to let the reality sink in that she was going to have a baby. While she was afraid, she was also very excited because she had dreamed of this for a long time. Although she wasn't sure how Lancelot would react right away, she knew that he would eventually grow to love the idea of being a father. First, she had to tell him.

"Thank you Guinevere," she said as she ran out of the room to go inform Lancelot of the wonderful news.

Dani didn't know exactly where Lancelot was, but she knew that he was going out to ride for a while. So, she ran down the hallway until she got to the door that led outside. From the door she ran down the steps, but halfway down she lost her footing and fell. She fell down the rest of the steps until she hit the bottom. Instinctively she checked to make sure that her baby was alright first. Everything seemed to be fine until she saw blood trickling down her leg and knew exactly where it was from.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. I promise to make the next one longer. Thank you for the reviews again. Please read and review and let me know what you think!**


	20. Fate Takes A Hand

Dani panicked, she didn't know what to do. She called out for help and began to cry. Her breathing became shallow and labored. She felt light headed and dizzy. After a few moments she blacked out. When she woke up, she was in a warm room with people buzzing all around her. For a while she tried to pick out a familiar face, but couldn't. Someone soon realized that she was awake and came over to her. It was a young girl, around eighteen years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl sat on the edge of the bed and began to talk with Dani.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Dizzy. Where am I? Who are you?" Dani asked in reply.

"This is the hospital on palace grounds. You were brought here hours ago after taking a tumble on the stairs outside. My name is Elora," replied the girl.

_The stairs, _Dani thought, _my baby. What happened to my baby? Is it alright? I have to find out. How could I be so stupid as to run down the stairs in my condition like that? Please let my child be alright, please, please, please let it be fine._

"My baby?" Dani asked in concern.

"Let me get the midwife," the girl said and got up to get her.

The midwife came over and sat next to Dani just as the other girl had done a few minutes ago. She laid her hand over Dani's and said, "Dear, when you fell down the stairs, the force in which you hit the ground not only severely injured yourself, but hurt the baby as well. We did everything possible to save your child, but your body knew better than we did and let go of the child. It is gone. I'm so sorry."

Dani felt as if the whole world had collapsed on her head. It was only a few hours ago when she found out that she was going to be a mother and now someone was telling her that her baby was gone. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she began to sob. Her heart ached for the child she would never know or get to hold in her arms. The midwife and young girl tried to comfort her as much as possible, but she only wanted one person right now and that was Lancelot.

"Please go and get my husband, Lancelot. I need him right now," she asked the midwife in tears.

"Alright," she said, then turned to the girl and said, "Elora, step outside the door and tell Lancelot he can come in now."

The girl nodded and went to the door.

"My husband is out there already?" Dani asked.

"He's been out there since you were brought in here," replied the midwife.

"Does he know?" she asked.

"No, we thought it best that you tell him when you're ready to," said the midwife compassionately.

A few moments later, Lancelot walked through the door and went straight to Dani. He kissed her and sat next to her on the bed she was laying on. Tearstains were still fresh on her cheeks and Lancelot noticed them. Gently, he kissed each one and began to talk to her.

"They said you took quite a fall on those stairs," he said.

"I did. I lost my footing while running down them," she replied.

"Why were you running down them?" he asked curiously.

"I was coming to tell you something important," she said, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"What was so important that you had to run down the stairs to tell me in such a hurry?" he asked.

"I had just found out that the reason I was so sick was because I was going to have our baby. Now I can't say that anymore because our baby is gone. When I fell down the stairs, I hit the ground so hard that it hurt the baby as well as me. They say that my body just let go of the baby. I'm so sorry Lancelot, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said with tears rolling down her cheeks onto the sheets of the bed.

Lancelot was in total shock. While he was upset at losing their child, he already knew that Dani felt guilty enough. He didn't know what to say to Dani to comfort her. Nothing like this had ever occurred to him in his life. The only thing he could do at the moment was take her in his arms and let her cry. For a while, she stayed in his arms and cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Her sobbing subsided to whimpers and Lancelot loosened his grip around her to look at her.

"Dani, I don't know what you're feeling right now. But I do know this, everything happens for a reason. Perhaps this was fate's way of telling us that we weren't ready to be parents yet. The gods have taken this child to take care of it for us. Even though the baby isn't here with us, it will still be in our hearts forever. And when we die, we will see the child again. This will make us stronger. Then, when we are ready, we can have another child," Lancelot said.

Dani nodded in agreement with Lancelot. His words made sense and were comforting to her. Fate was telling her that she wasn't ready to be a mother yet. Perhaps, she needed time to mature before she had a baby. Even though she could never replace this child, eventually she could have another. One day she would be a mother, just not right now. Exhaustion from crying finally overtook Dani and fell asleep in Lancelot's arms.

* * *

The next day, Dani was moved back to her own room. Though she was asleep most of the time, she did wake up briefly to accept a visit from Guinevere. Guinevere was concerned for her younger sister's health and feelings, so she came to check on her.

"Hello," Guinevere said softly, "how are you holding up?"

"I'm better than I was yesterday after they informed me that my baby had died," Dani replied.

"Did you talk to Lancelot?" Guinevere asked.

"Yes, and he said that maybe it was fate's way of telling us that we weren't ready to be parents yet. Even though it hurts, I know that he is right," Dani said.

"Sometimes fate has a different way of telling you things when you least expect it. Dani, you will have another child someday and you will be a wonderful mother when that time comes," Guinevere said.

Dani nodded and knew that Guinevere was right. She became tired again, so Guinevere hugged her and left so that she could sleep. Before she fell asleep, she decided to say goodbye to the child she never got to meet.

_My sweet, innocent child. Though I never got to see you or hold you, I loved you from the moment I found out I was going to have you. Moments later, you were taken from me in a twist of fate. Now that I think about it, fate was probably doing it for the best, knowing I wasn't ready to become your mother. One day I will meet you in the next life. Until then, you will always remain in my heart as my first child. I regret not being able to see your beautiful face. I regret not being able to hold you in my arms. I regret not being able to know if you were a boy or a girl so that I could give you your name. But, the one thing I regret most of all is not being able to tell you that I love you with all of my heart._

Tears fell from Dani's eyes onto the pillows as she cried herself to sleep. Once she fell asleep, she dreamed of the baby. The baby was happy with the angels and in no pain whatsoever. It was a little girl. Dani found peace in what she dreamed about.

**

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A/N: I know this is extremely sad, but it gets better I promise. This is by far one of the saddest chapters I've ever written. Please be nice with the reviews! This chapter is dedicated to one of my faithful reviewers, Readerfreak10. (I will eventually get around to dedicating a chapter to everyone, so don't hurt me!)**


	21. A Blessing or Two

A full year passed before Dani became with child again. In that year, she spent more time learning things from Guinevere and helping out in taking care of Rose. By the time she found out she was going to have another baby, she already knew how to take care of one. The day she found out, she was excited and happy. Only this time, she didn't run to tell Lancelot. When she suspected that she was pregnant, she told Lancelot that she needed him to be with her when she knew for sure. So, when she went to the midwife at the palace hospital, Lancelot was right by her side. After the midwife confirmed Dani's suspicions, Dani cried tears of joy. They asked the midwife to keep it a secret because they would like to announce it themselves later on. The midwife agreed and Dani and Lancelot went on their way.

* * *

Later that evening, when they were alone in their room, Lancelot and Dani talked about the new baby and what it would mean. 

"You know that the library next to our room will have to be moved to another room to put the nursery in there," Dani said.

"Aw, there are so many good memories in there," Lancelot said, winking.

Dani knew exactly what he was talking about; she gasped and said, "Lancelot!" as she gently pushed him over on the bed.

"I was jesting with you," he said, pressing his lips to hers for a kiss.

She kissed him back. He pulled away, jumped off the bed, and walked over to the window. A moment later he held out his hand for her to grab. After grabbing his hand, he pulled her closer to him, her back against his chest, and pointed out the window.

"See that field over there?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"That is where I will teach our child how to ride a horse. And over there," he said pointing to another field with targets, "is where you will teach them how to shoot a bow and arrow."

"Even if it is a girl?" she asked.

"Even if it is a girl. It doesn't matter to me if it is a boy or a girl, I will love them the same," Lancelot replied.

"I love you," Dani said.

"I love you," he replied. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and felt her stomach and said, "And I love you too!"

They stood there in the gleaming moonlight for a few moments before returning to their bed. After talking a while longer, Dani grew tired and fell asleep. Lancelot stayed awake and watched over his sleeping wife to be sure no harm came to her or the baby. Soon after he laid down next to her and she snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arm around her and rested it on her stomach, as if to protect the baby. Sleep finally overtook Lancelot and he dreamed of their child.

* * *

The next day Dani decided to tell Guinevere that she was with child again. She walked into Rose's room where Guinevere was playing with Rose, who was now nearly two years old. Rose saw her and ran right up to Dani. 

"Dani!" she exclaimed as Dani picked her up from the floor.

"Hello Rose. Have you been good for your mommy today? I hope so. My you've gotten so big," Dani said.

"Dani, Rose loves you so much. You are by far her favorite aunt," Guinevere said.

"I'm her only aunt," Dani replied laughing. "However, I'm not going to be the only aunt around here anymore." Dani put Rose back down in front of her toys.

"What?" Guinevere asked, confused.

"Lancelot and I are going to have a baby," Dani said.

"You are?" Guinevere asked. "Are you sure that you're going to?"

"We're positive. The midwife confirmed it yesterday. I can't believe that I'm going to finally be a mother," Dani replied.

"That's wonderful!" Guinevere exclaimed.

"Now I'm not so afraid of having a child after learning from you with Rose. That really eased my fears about taking care of my own child," Dani said.

"I always knew you would be fine," Guinevere said.

The two sisters embraced for a hug. Rose, feeling very left out at this point began to cry, so Dani picked her back up.

"Don't cry Rose, you're going to have a cousin to play with soon," Dani cooed at Rose and spun her around in a circle.

Dani was happier than ever.

* * *

(9 months later) 

Lancelot stood outside the door of the hospital, feeling completely helpless. Dani was inside the hospital, in labor, and he was stuck outside doing nothing to help. He found it completely ridiculous that the husband couldn't help his wife through labor and delivery. After a while, Arthur came up to him and began to talk with him

"You feel helpless?" Arthur asked.

"Precisely," Lancelot answered, "I should be in there helping my wife and I'm stuck out here doing nothing."

"I felt the same way when Guinevere gave birth to Rose. Women have their own secret world where men aren't welcome, specifically in two areas, labor and delivery," Arthur said chuckling.

"You've figured all this out?" Lancelot asked.

"No, it's just a theory I have. It makes sense though. Why would they keep us out of there if it weren't some sort of secret?" Arthur asked.

"Well, perhaps you're right," Lancelot replied.

Their conversation was interrupted by Dani's screams. For a moment after it was totally silent until a baby's cry was heard through the door. Lancelot breathed a sigh of relief and knew the baby was healthy. Within a few minutes the door opened and a nurse brought a tiny bundle of blankets out to Lancelot.

"It's a girl," she said, handing him the baby gently.

Lancelot looked at the baby in his arms. Her hair was dark brown and curly like her mother's. For a moment he stared at her and wondered how something so beautiful could come from him. The moment was cut short by Dani's piercing screams through the door. All was quiet before Lancelot heard a baby crying. He looked down at the baby in his arms and she was sleeping. A few minutes later a nurse came out with a second bundle.

"Twins, my lord," she said and handed him the second baby.

The second baby was another girl. They were identical twins. Lancelot stared in awe at his two children and wondered if the second had been a blessing for the first that he and Dani had lost almost two years ago. He smiled at his sleeping daughters in his arms. After a few more minutes a nurse came out.

"You can go in now. Dani wants to see you and the babies," she said.

Lancelot walked into the room. Dani was sitting up on a bed smiling at him as he walked in with the babies. He walked over to her and handed one of the babies to her. Dani looked at both of their daughters and couldn't help but smile.

"Twins," she said, "can you believe that we have twins?"

"I didn't believe it until they were both in my arms. How are you feeling?" he asked in concern for his wife's health.

"Fine, just tired is all," she replied. "They both look so much like you."

"They have your eyes and your hair though," Lancelot said. "What are we going to name them?"

"I though about naming this one Sorsha Guinevere," she said, kissing the one in her arms, "and naming that one Elizabeth J'Na. What do you think?"

"I like those names," he replied, kissing the baby in his arms.

Dani yawned out of exhaustion, so Lancelot took baby Sorsha from her arms to let her get some sleep. He sat down in a chair at the end of the hospital bed, holding his daughters in his arms. They were so beautiful to him. Even though they were identical, he could already tell them apart. Sorsha was slightly bigger than Lizzie.

As he sat there at the end of the bed with the girls in his arms, he made promises to them as their father.

"Sorsha and Lizzie, my girls. I promise to teach you how to ride a horse properly. I promise to teach you how swordfight if you want to learn. I promise to fend off boys that you don't like and allow you to marry whom you choose. But, above all else, I promise that I will love you always and forever as my daughters."

When he was done, he kissed each girl on the forehead. They were his daughters and he loved each one differently. After so much pain in losing their first child, this was the beginning of a new life for Dani and himself. These little girls were a blessing and were going to be loved.

**

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A/N: See, I told you it would get happier. On the babies' names: Sorsha is from one of my favorite movies, _Willow_, Elizabeth from another favorite movie, _Pride and Prejudice_, and J'Na is my best friend's middle name. Ok, so now that is explained. This chapter is dedicated to Lady of Trebond. Thank you guys for all the reviews. Please review and let me know what you like, don't like, or love. :)**


	22. Holy Little Terrors

(6 Years Later)

"Come back here!" yelled Gawain and Galahad as Lizzie, Sorsha, and Rose ran down the hall.

Now they wondered why they volunteered to baby-sit the three of them. They had both of the knights running all over the palace trying to catch them. It was their proverbial game of tag that never ended. However, they only did this whenever Gawain and Galahad were watching them. To their parents or Tristan, they were perfect little angels. To Gawain and Galahad, they were holy little terrors.

"No," yelled Lizzie and Sorsha in unison as they scrambled behind Rose down yet another hallway.

The two knights stopped in the middle of a hallway to catch their breath. This game had lasted for far too long for the two of them.

"I think we're getting too old for this," Galahad remarked.

"I believe you're right. And we wonder why we never married and had children. This reminds me every day," Gawain replied.

"How much longer are we going to be at it before we finally get smarter than these kids?" Galahad asked.

"I have no earthly clue. If you ask me, this is getting bloody ridiculous, chasing these kids all over the place. We're the adults and they should listen to us," Gawain answered back.

"Right. Now let's find them and enforce the 'law' upon them," Galahad said.

The two of them set off in search of the kids. Some time later they found them hiding in a spare room and caught them all. After being carried back to the playroom, the knights set them down as they were still kicking and screaming. Lizzie's foot caught the edge of Galahad's mouth and set the three kids into a fit of giggles on the floor. Once they had stopped laughing, the two knights attempted to lay down the law.

"Now, look here. Galahad and I are the adults and you three are the children. Children are supposed to listen to the adults. The three of you are going to listen to us from now on, right?" Gawain said.

The kids looked at one another and collapsed into another fit of laughter. Galahad and Gawain were completely shocked at the kids' behaviors. After settling down, the kids began to speak to the knights.

"Now, look here," Rose said, imitating Gawain, "our parents run this palace, so we're the bosses and you're not. So whatever we say goes."

"Yeah," Lizzie and Sorsha said in unison.

"Come on, let's go to the kitchen and see what kind of things we can find to play with in there," Rose said to her younger cousins.

"No you don't," Galahad said as he and Gawain attempted to grab the kids as they ran out the door.

Rose, Sorsha, and Lizzie made their way down into the kitchen. Once they were inside, they began play with the different utensils lying around. Sorsha and Lizzie found bowls and put them of their heads and proceeded to pretend they were warriors. Rose decided to swing off of the chandelier above the counter. When the knights came in, the kids froze for a moment before grabbing nearby food and began flinging it at the knights. Galahad lunged to grab the twins, but was unsuccessful in getting them as they ran out of the way just in time. Rose chunked a stale piece of bread at Gawain's head and hit him in the forehead. By this time, both of the knights were angry and frustrated with these kids. Both of them stormed out of the kitchen in fury, leaving the kids to do what they wanted.

Dani, Lancelot, Arthur, and Guinevere walked through the gates of the palace and all was quiet. They had been out for a pleasant ride alone, away from their children. When they walked in the door, they found Gawain and Galahad asleep on two chairs. Lancelot and Arthur got on either side of them and poked them both at the same time. Galahad and Gawain jumped out of their chairs.

"Whose…it..what…where!" exclaimed Galahad in confusion.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Gawain asked.

"You're supposed to be watching the children." Dani said.

"Where are they?" Guinevere asked.

"Those holy little terrors are in the kitchen doing God knows what. When we went in there to stop them, they threw food at us and other things," Galahad explained to them in exhaustion.

"They are children! How much harm can two six-year-olds and an eight-year-old cause?" Lancelot asked.

"Lots!" exclaimed Galahad and Gawain in unison.

"Let's just see how much they can. Take us to the kitchen," Guinevere ordered.

The two knights led them down the hall to the kitchen. Once they entered the kitchen, it was spotless. Nothing was out of place. There was no food all over the floor and all of the dishes were put in their places.

"I see nothing," Arthur said.

"It was them, I swear it," stammered Gawain.

"Let's just see about that," Dani said as she began to walk towards the playroom.

All the adults walked down the hall to the playroom. When they opened the door, all three girls were asleep on the floor on top of a blanket. Lancelot and Arthur walked into the room. Arthur picked up Rose and Lancelot picked up both of the twins.

"How could you blame your recklessness on three innocent children?" Guinevere asked Galahad and Gawain in disgust.

The two knights stomped off in anger, muttering 'holy little terrors' under their breaths as they went. As for Rose, Lizzie, and Sorsha, their parents put them in their own rooms to sleep for the night. All was well in the palace again.

**A/N: Sorry this one is short, but I thought it was kind of funny. Let me know what you think. This chapter is dedicated to mrs. pace.**


	23. Growing Up

Many years past in the palace and all the girls grew up. Sorsha and Lizzie were now a few weeks away from their eighteenth birthday. Each day they grew more beautiful like their mother and cleverer like their father. Their parents adored them and loved them with all of their hearts. Rose, too, had grown up. She was now almost twenty years old and getting married within the next few months. The man who she would marry was twenty years old and his name was Damian. Rose loved him with all of her heart. Though her father was slightly concerned that he was a Woad, her mother swayed her father's worries enough to allow them to marry. Sorsha and Lizzie were delighted for their cousin and wondered when their turn would be.

"Oh, Rose it's so wonderful that you're getting married in a few months!" exclaimed Lizzie.

"Yes, I have to agree with Lizzie. It is wonderful that you are getting married. Just imagine it, a family of your own," Sorsha said.

"I know, I'm so excited. I love Damian with all of my heart and would never let him go just because of his heritage. I mean, my father married my mother and my mother is a Woad. Personally, I don't care what his heritage is because he is a lot better than some men I've seen in my lifetime. Even these so called Romans are more savage than he is. Damian is so kind and gentle to me," Rose replied.

"I hope to find a man that is like Damian and will treat me like he does you. How did you meet him?" Lizzie asked.

"Well," Rose began, "I was riding in the woods one day by myself, like I always did. Something spooked my horse and she wouldn't calm down. In an instant she bucked me off her back and he caught me before I hit the ground. After making sure I was alright, he calmed my horse down. He spoke to me in Woadish, which I understand because my mother taught it to me, but he asked for my name. I told him it was Rose. He smiled and said, 'Every bit as beautiful as the flower you're named for.' After that, we talked for a while and got to know one another. I found him so intriguing and so different from anyone I had ever known in all of my life."

"Wow," replied Lizzie, "I wish I could meet someone like him one day."

"You will, my young cousin. There is still time yet before you can marry. Just find someone that makes you happy and you complete each other," Rose said smiling at her cousins.

Sorsha was completely silent while Lizzie and Rose carried on their conversation. It wasn't like her to never talk. Usually, she was chatting all the time with her sister or Rose. A few moments later, Rose noticed her unusually quiet cousin.

"Sorsha, you're being awfully quiet now. Is something wrong that you want to talk about?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," piped Lizzie, "you're never this quiet. What's wrong?"

Sorsha remained silent for a few moments.

"Please tell me. I'm your sister and it worries me to see you like this," Lizzie begged of Sorsha.

Tears fell from Sorsha's eyes and she began to cry. Lizzie had never seen her twin like his before and it killed her inside. She had to know what was wrong and she had to know now so that she could hurt whoever had done this to her sister.

"Sorsha, it's alright. You can tell me. We always used to tell secrets when we were little to keep them away from mom and dad. Please don't cry and tell me what's bothering you so." Lizzie said reassuringly.

Sorsha's sobs subsided enough for her to talk. "Lizzie, Rose, promise me that you will never tell a soul as long as you live what I'm about to tell you," she said.

"We promise," Rose and Lizzie said in unison.

"I've found someone and I love him so much," Sorsha began.

"You've found someone?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes, his name is Octavian. He's a Woad as well. In fact, I think he knows Damian and is one of his good friends," Sorsha explained.

"Sorsha, that's wonderful. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you fall in love, it's perfectly normal," Rose said.

"There is more," Sorsha said as tears welled up in her eyes, "I've done something very foolish."

"It can't be that bad. You've never done anything seriously wrong in your entire life and I should know, I'm your twin," Lizzie said.

"This is something I've done outside of our time together, sister. Octavian and I have been together for many months and three months ago he asked for my hand in marriage. I said yes and we married in a Woadish ceremony," Sorsha explained.

"You did WHAT?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm secretly married and just today I found out that I will be having our first child soon," Sorsha replied.

"My dear, it's not as bad as you think. I know my aunt and uncle to be very forgiving people. Just tell t hem the truth and don't hide it anymore. Parents always have a way of forgiving their children for the worst of things and this isn't all that bad. I believe that they will rejoice in having a daughter married and a grandchild on the way," Rose said in an attempt to calm Sorsha's nerves for the sake of the baby.

"Have you told Octavian about the child?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes, he knows and he's happy about it," Sorsha replied.

"I know that mom and dad aren't going to be happy about this Sorsha, but when we were children, you got away with more stuff than I did. Maybe they will overlook it with passive anger and be happy with you about your child. After all, this is a situation to rejoice in. A new child in the family is nothing to be angry with," Lizzie said comfortingly.

"Lizzie, you are far more wise than I am. I think that it is time to tell them before they get suspicious of my growing stomach. Mother already looked at me funny this morning when I walked out of my room. I think that somehow she knows," Sorsha said.

"Mom knows everything, remember? We couldn't get away with anything around her when we were children. It was like she could see right into our minds to know what we were up to," Lizzie said laughing.

Sorsha knew her cousin and sister were right. Hiding this secret any longer was pointless and only would cause more problems. As it was, her parents were already going to be angry with her for marrying before she turned eighteen. Anger would only be added when she informed them that she was carrying a child. Maybe, perhaps the thought of a grandchild would soften them. The only way to find out was to tell them the truth. Sorsha placed her hand on her stomach softly to feel her baby. Though it had not moved yet, she knew that it could feel her touch and hear her voice.

_Tomorrow, _she thought, _tomorrow I will tell them the truth. First I must inform Octavian that I will be telling my parents so that he can come to the palace to meet them. _

With that, Sorsha went back to her room to think of ways to tell her parents of the news she had to bring them.

**

* * *

A/N: Alright, we're getting to the very end of the story here. I hope that you've liked it so far. Please review and let me know if there should be a sequel or companion piece. This chapter is dedicated to RhythmOfTheWarDrum**


	24. Family

The next day, Sorsha was nervous as she made her way out of the palace to visit Octavian. She walked slower through the woods than usual, taking time to think things over once again in her head. Finally, her thoughts overran her heart and she began to cry just before reaching Octavian. He saw the tears streaming down her cheeks and immediately began comforting her.

"Shhh, things are going to be alright. I promise," he said reassuringly.

"No they are not. We have a child coming into this world and I haven't even broken the news to my parents that I am married. How do you think they are going to react when I not only tell them that I'm married, but having a child as well?" Sorsha cried.

"If your mother and father are the kind people you have portrayed them to me as, they will forgive you and rejoice in the situation. Don't fret until we are sure of how they will react," Octavian said as he lovingly wrapped his arms around her waist, resting them on her stomach as if to protect their child.

Sorsha sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. Perhaps he was right. Even as a child, her parents were always forgiving when it came to herself and Lizzie. For right now, she was content to be affectionate with her husband whom she had not seen in days. She loved the way he caressed her cheek just before he kissed her. He picked her up and carried her into his hut.

* * *

Later, she lay stretched out on the bed. Octavian was tracing patterns with his fingers along her stomach where the baby was. As he traced the patterns, he was smiling at the thought of his child. Sorsha loved it when he smiled because he rarely did so. Being a warrior, he didn't really smile at most things that normal people would. In these instances, Sorsha thought smiling softened his features more. She wondered that once the baby had come, would he smile more? For now, she didn't know, but she definitely hoped so.

After lying down for a while, Sorsha realized that it was time to go.

"I have to get back to tell them," she replied as she gently pushed through the bombardment of kisses begging her to stay. "Come with me. I want them to meet you right away if they are not too angry with me."

"Alright," he replied, "I will come with you on one condition."

"What is that?" she asked.

"No matter what they say, you come home with me. We have not spent one whole night together since we were married and I would like to have you to myself without the fear of being caught," he said.

"I agree," Sorsha said kissing him again.

"Let's go then," Octavian said.

They set off for the palace together. The walk back to the palace was quicker than the walk to Octavian's house Sorsha noticed. Once they had arrived back at the palace, Sorsha immediately took Octavian to her room to keep him safe and unseen. Once she was sure that he was fine, she set off to find her parents to tell them.

* * *

She found them in the library. Her mother was reading quietly and her father was studying some maps to figure out where he should go hunting next. Both of them noticed her coming in and smiled.

"Good morning sweetheart," Dani said.

"Good morning mother, good morning father," Sorsha replied.

"Good morning," he father said.

"You weren't at breakfast this morning, are you feeling alright?" Dani asked in concern for her daughter.

"I was not feeling very well this morning, but I am better now," Sorsha said, "There is something important that I must discuss with both of you."

"What is it dear?" Lancelot asked.

"Well, do you remember telling me that one day I would marry someone of my choosing?" Sorsha asked cautiously.

"Yes," both of her parents replied in unison.

"I did find someone that I choose," she started before being interrupted.

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Dani. "We'll start making wedding plans right away. Oh, this is so wonderful, a daughter getting married."

"Congratulations," Lancelot said, "I am so proud of you."

"No, you don't understand," Sorsha said.

"What don't we understand sweetie?" Dani asked.

"I'm already married!" Sorsha exclaimed.

The room went totally silent for a few agonizing moments. Sorsha watched as her parents stared at her in disbelief. Silently, she prepared herself for her parents' wrath to come down upon her. She reminded herself not to get upset and remember the baby's health as well as her own. After a few more moments, her parents finally broke the silence.

"Explain yourself," Lancelot said, controlling his anger.

"I have been seeing a man for several months and three months ago he asked for my hand in marriage and I accepted. He is a Woad, so we married in a Woadish ceremony," Sorsha explained.

"So, instead of waiting until you turn eighteen, you run off and get married to a Woad?" Lancelot screamed.

"Darling, don't be too harsh. She fell in love, just like we did. And you forget, I'm a Woad as well, so don't judge her choice when you made that same choice years ago," Dani said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"I love him, father, and he loves me. You've always told me that the day Lizzie and I were born, you promised us that we could marry whomever we choose. I choose Octavian because I love him," Sorsha said as tears fell down her cheeks. "I am happy with him and we're going to have a child as well, but it seems you don't want to be a part of my new life."

Almost instantly, Lancelot's anger towards his daughter softened and he said, "I'm sorry I acted like that. I am just so afraid of losing you and Lizzie. You are my only children and I love you so much."

"It is alright father, I understand that you were only trying to protect me, but that is no longer your job. That is Octavian's job now and he's done a great job at it so far," Sorsha said embracing her parents in a hug.

"When can we meet him?" Dani asked.

"Right now if you would like to," Sorsha replied.

"Let's meet him then," Lancelot said.

Sorsha led her parents down the hall to her room and opened the door to reveal Octavian standing there. At first he didn't know how to react, but Sorsha motioned for him to come out of her room. He came out and joined Sorsha with her parents. Introductions were given and they began to talk. Sorsha was happy to see that her father and husband were getting along. The men began to have their own conversation about hunting so Sorsha and Dani decided not to disturb them. After all, the whole point was to get them to get along. Sorsha placed her hand protectively over her stomach as she watched her father and husband talk.

"I used to do that before I had you and Lizzie," Dani said.

"It helps me feel closer to the baby," replied Sorsha, smiling at her mother.

"You know, this is going to be the start of something new for you. A new life coming into this world is one of the best things that can happen to you. I remember the day you and Lizzie came into my life. You two were the most beautiful little girls that I had ever seen in my life. Then, I watched you grow everyday of your life until now. You're all grown up and having a child of your own. I prayed for this kind of happiness for you and your sister the day you were born," Dani said.

"I want you there when this child comes into the world. I want you, Lizzie, Rose, and Aunt Guinevere there with me," Sorsha requested.

Dani nodded and replied, "Of course we'll be there. Nothing would keep me away from you on that day. It is one of the most important days of your life," Dani said as she embraced her daughter.

* * *

(Many months later)

Octavian stood outside a wooden door, pacing the floor back and forth. There was a look of anxiety written on his face. Never in his life had he felt this nervous about anything and he was a warrior. Lancelot and Arthur sat against the wall, watching young Octavian pace the floor and quietly chuckling at him.

"Come and sit down son, everything will be fine. She's in good hands, now just be patient," Lancelot said as Arthur nodded in agreement.

"I can't just sit down knowing she's in there without me, doing through this ordeal alone," replied Octavian.

"But she's not alone. Lizzie, Rose, Guinevere, and Dani are all in there with her, so everything will be fine. Don't tire yourself out before your child even arrives. Trust me, you'll need all the energy you can get once the little one gets here," Arthur said, nudging Lancelot's side and laughing.

Octavian continued to pace the floor in worry for his wife and unborn child.

* * *

Inside the room, Sorsha had been in labor for several hours and was tiring out fast. The midwives were buzzing about the room, getting things ready such as blankets, hot water, and a tiny cradle by Sorsha's bed. Dani sat beside her daughter, taking a damp cloth and wiping her face. Lizzie sat near her twin, holding her hand through each wave of pain that she felt. After a few more waves, the midwife looked up at Sorsha with a glimmer of optimism in her eyes.

"My lady, are you ready to see your child?" she asked.

"Yes," Sorsha said.

"Push," the midwife said as Sorsha pushed down with all of her might.

The pain was excruciating and Sorsha began to cry in agony. Dani calmed her down.

"It's almost over, sweetie. Just a few more moments and you'll see your baby," Dani said comfortingly.

"One more push, my lady. Just one more," the midwife urged.

Sorsha pushed down one last time with all of her might. Just as she thought she would die of pain, she heard a tiny cry.

"You have a baby," the midwife said.

Sorsha laid her head back in relief on the pillow behind her. Hearing the baby's cry was music to her ears. It was a welcome relief.

"What is it?" Sorsha asked as the midwives were cleaning the baby up, but she got her answer when they turned around to bring the baby to her. The tiny babe was wrapped in a pink blanket. Sorsha reached out and took her baby into her arms for the first time. She was perfect.

After being cleaned up, Sorsha was allowed to rest. The midwife opened the door and let Octavian, Lancelot, and Arthur in. Octavian rushed to his wife's side.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Sorsha asked as Octavian kissed first her forehead, then their daughter's.

"She is perfect," he replied.

"I think I'm going to call you Alysa Marie," Sorsha said kissing the baby's nose.

"I like that name," Octavian said.

The rest of the family looked on with joy. The next generation had been brought into the world and all was at peace. Three generations of family stood within one room. The past, present, and future.

**

* * *

A/N: And so ends our tale here. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you think there should be a sequel or companion story to this. This final chapter is dedicated to all my readers who have reviewed and given me encouragement. Thank you.**


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